vibrate
B2Neutral (common in both technical and everyday contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To move rapidly back and forth or up and down with small movements.
To produce a continuous, slightly shaking sound or sensation; to resonate emotionally; to oscillate between states.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies small, rapid oscillations. Can refer to physical movement, sound, or metaphorical resonance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. The spelling is the same. Usage in describing phone settings ('vibrate mode') is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] vibrates[Subject] vibrates with [noun][Subject] causes [object] to vibrateVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Make the windows vibrate”
- “Vibrate with anger/excitement”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts discussing technology (e.g., 'The device vibrates to alert the user').
Academic
Common in physics and engineering contexts to describe oscillatory motion.
Everyday
Most common for describing phones, speakers, or intense emotional/physical sensations.
Technical
Precise term for periodic motion around a central point, especially in physics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- My phone vibrated on the wooden table.
- The washing machine began to vibrate violently during the spin cycle.
- The whole stadium vibrated with the noise of the crowd.
American English
- Put your phone on vibrate during the movie.
- The guitar string vibrated after she plucked it.
- His voice vibrated with barely contained anger.
adverb
British English
- The engine ran vibratingly for a moment before cutting out.
American English
- The phone buzzed vibratingly against the glass.
adjective
British English
- The vibrate function on my phone is broken.
- She felt a vibrate sensation in her pocket.
American English
- I felt a vibrating sensation under my foot.
- He switched his phone to vibrating mode.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My phone can vibrate.
- The washing machine vibrates.
- The phone vibrated in my bag.
- I could feel the floor vibrate from the music downstairs.
- The machine began to vibrate alarmingly, so I turned it off.
- Her whole body seemed to vibrate with nervous energy before the speech.
- The precise frequency at which the crystal vibrates determines its accuracy in the timepiece.
- The air in the concert hall vibrated with the final, resonant chord.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a VIOLIN string when BRATTed (plucked) – it VI-BRATES.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENERGY IS VIBRATION; EMOTION IS A VIBRATING OBJECT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'вибрировать' in its metaphorical sense of 'to equivocate' or 'to hesitate'. English 'vibrate' is primarily physical.
- 'Вибрировать' (Russian) can mean 'to oscillate between opinions', which is not a primary meaning of 'vibrate' in English.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'vibrate' for large, slow movements (e.g., 'The building vibrated in the storm' is okay, but 'The truck vibrated down the road' is less typical).
- Confusing 'vibrate' (intransitive) with 'vibrate something' (transitive).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'vibrate' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, it describes rapid, small oscillations. Large, slow shaking is more often 'shake' or 'tremble'.
Yes, but less commonly. e.g., 'The motor vibrates the whole frame.' More often, it's intransitive ('The frame vibrates').
'Oscillate' is more technical and can imply a regular, predictable swing (like a pendulum), while 'vibrate' implies smaller, rapid, often less regular movements.
Yes, etymologically. 'Vibrant' originally meant 'vibrating', but now almost exclusively means 'bright, colourful, or full of energy'.