📒 to move or make somebody/something move with short quick movements from side to side or up and down
- The whole house shakes when a train goes past.
- shake somebody/something Shake the bottle well before use.
- The explosion shook windows miles from the site.
📒 to move something in a particular direction by shaking
- She bent down to shake a pebble out of her shoe.
- His father used to come home and shake the dust off his work clothes.
- He stood up, shaking sand everywhere.
📒 to take somebody’s hand and move it up and down as a way of saying hello or to show that you agree about something
- shake hands Do people in Italy shake hands when they meet?
- shake hands with somebody She refused to shake hands with him.
- shake somebody’s hand He stepped forward and shook my hand.
📒 to turn your head from side to side as a way of saying ‘no’ or to show that you are sad, feel doubt, etc.
- ‘Drink?’ he offered. She shook her head.
- The old man watched them walk off into the night, shaking his head sadly.
- She shook her head in disbelief.
📒 to show that you are angry with somebody; to threaten somebody by shaking your fist (= closed hand)
- The man shook his fist at the court after he was sentenced.
📒 to make short quick movements that you cannot control, for example because you are cold or afraid
- Her hands had started to shake.
- shake with something He was shaking with fear.
- He saw his mother turn away, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
📒 to sound unsteady, usually because you are nervous, upset or angry
- ‘Who are you?’ he asked, his voice shaking.
- Her voice shook with emotion.
📒 to shock or upset somebody very much
- shake somebody He was badly shaken by the news of her death.
- shake somebody up The accident really shook her up.
- Shaken up by the early goal against them, the team began to fight back.
📒 to make a belief or an idea less certain
- The incident had shaken her faith in him.
- This announcement is bound to shake the confidence of the industry.
📒 to get rid of something
- shake something off I can't seem to shake off this cold.
- She has finally managed to shake off her old wrist injury.
- shake something He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong.
📒 to cause people to question their basic beliefs about something
- This issue has shaken the foundations of French politics.
- an event which rocked the foundations of British politics
- The scandal rocked the legal establishment to its foundations.
📒 to be very frightened or nervous
📒 used to tell somebody to start to do something or to hurry