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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Shake Verb: Meanings, Examples, and Usage Guide (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：move something briskly (shake)

shake 🔊

/ʃeɪk/

To move something back and forth or up and down with quick, short movements.

Bartender shaking cocktail shaker with motion blur

move something briskly 🔊

➕

/muːv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈbrɪskli/

To cause something to move quickly back and forth or up and down with short, forceful motions.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'sceacan', meaning to move quickly. Related to Old Norse 'skaka'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a cocktail shaker: you must shake it to mix. That's the core meaning.

📖 Example

To make the cocktail, you need to shake the shaker vigorously for about 15 seconds. 🔊 To make the cocktail, you need to move the shaker vigorously for about 15 seconds.

🔗 Collocations

shake the bottle – move the bottle up and down or side to side

shake one's head – move one's head from side to side to indicate disagreement

shake the rug – move the rug briskly to remove dust

🔄 Synonyms

vibrate (v.) – To move quickly back and forth, often with a rhythmic motion.

joggle (v.) – To move something slightly and repeatedly, usually with a jerking motion.

agitate (v.) – To stir or move something vigorously, often in a liquid.

🚫 Antonyms

still (v.) – To make something become motionless or quiet.

steady (v.) – To keep something stable and not moving.

🌱 Derivatives

shaker (n.) – A container used for shaking liquids, especially cocktails.

shaky (adj.) – Unsteady or trembling.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'shake' traces back to Proto-Germanic *skakaną. It appears in Shakespeare's works, e.g., 'shake the earth', and is used in modern idioms like 'shake a leg' (hurry) and 'shake on it' (seal a deal).

Meaning 2：greet by hand clasp (shake)

shake 🔊

/ʃeɪk/

To take someone's hand and move it up and down as a greeting or to show agreement.

Business people shaking hands in office meeting

greet by hand clasp 🔊

➕

/ɡriːt baɪ hænd klæsp/

To take someone's hand and move it up and down as a gesture of greeting, agreement, or farewell.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

After a successful negotiation, they warmly shake hands to celebrate the new partnership. 🔊 After a successful negotiation, they warmly clasp hands to celebrate the new partnership.

🔗 Collocations

shake hands with someone – greet by clasping and moving hands up and down

shake on a deal – confirm an agreement by shaking hands

a firm handshake – a strong, confident hand-clasp

🔄 Synonyms

clasp (v.) – To hold something tightly, often in greeting.

grip (v.) – To take hold of something firmly, as in a handshake.

🚫 Antonyms

snub (v.) – To ignore or reject a greeting deliberately.

🌱 Derivatives

handshake (n.) – The act of shaking hands.

Meaning 3：deeply disturb (shake)

shake 🔊

/ʃeɪk/

To upset or disturb someone deeply; to make someone lose confidence or composure.

Woman shocked and unsettled while holding tablet

deeply disturb 🔊

➕

/ˈdiːpli dɪˈstɜːrb/

To cause someone to feel shocked, upset, or emotionally unsettled, often undermining their confidence or composure.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：advanced

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The sudden news of the company's closure shake the entire team's confidence in the future. 🔊 The sudden news of the company's closure deeply disturbs the entire team's confidence in the future.

🔗 Collocations

shake someone's confidence – undermine someone's self-assurance

be shaken by the news – be emotionally upset by the information

shake to the core – affect someone very deeply

🔄 Synonyms

unsettle (v.) – To make someone feel uneasy or disturbed.

rock (v.) – To shock or surprise someone greatly, often causing instability.

shatter (v.) – To completely destroy someone's emotional state or confidence.

🚫 Antonyms

reassure (v.) – To restore confidence or calmness to someone.

steady (v.) – To make someone calm and composed again.

🌱 Derivatives

shaken (adj.) – Feeling upset or disturbed.

shaker (n.) – Something that causes disturbance (rare, e.g., 'a shaker of events').