Shaking can happen for many reasons. You might shake from fear, cold, excitement, anger, or even laughter. But if you simply write “He was shaking,” your sentence may feel plain.
This is where similes make your writing stronger. A simile compares two things using like or as. It helps readers see and feel the movement. For example, instead of saying “Her hands were shaking,” you could say, “Her hands were shaking like leaves in a storm.” That creates a clear mental image.
In this guide, you’ll discover 20+ creative similes for shaking, along with meanings and example sentences to improve your writing skills.
Let’s explore!
1. Like leaves in a storm
Meaning: Shaking from fear or strong force.
Examples:
- His hands shook like leaves in a storm.
- She stood shaking like leaves in a storm before the announcement.
2. As shaky as a house in an earthquake
Meaning: Very strong and uncontrollable shaking.
Examples:
- The windows rattled as shaky as a house in an earthquake.
- His legs felt as shaky as a house in an earthquake.
3. Like jelly on a plate
Meaning: Wobbly and unsteady.
Examples:
- Her knees were shaking like jelly on a plate.
- He felt like jelly on a plate during the interview.
4. As trembling as a candle flame
Meaning: Light and gentle shaking.
Examples:
- Her voice was as trembling as a candle flame.
- He stood as trembling as a candle flame in the breeze.
5. Like a dog after a bath
Meaning: Fast and energetic shaking.
Examples:
- The puppy shook like a dog after a bath.
- He laughed and shook like a dog after a bath.
6. As shaky as a tower of cards
Meaning: Unstable and fragile.
Examples:
- His legs were as shaky as a tower of cards.
- The plan felt as shaky as a tower of cards.
7. Like branches in strong wind
Meaning: Moving violently.
Examples:
- The trees shook like branches in strong wind.
- She stood shaking like branches in strong wind.
8. As trembling as a frightened rabbit
Meaning: Shaking from fear.
Examples:
- He was as trembling as a frightened rabbit.
- She looked as trembling as a frightened rabbit in the dark.
9. Like popcorn popping in a pan
Meaning: Quick and jumpy shaking.
Examples:
- The kids were shaking like popcorn popping in a pan.
- His heart jumped like popcorn popping in a pan.
10. As shaky as a loose window in the wind
Meaning: Constant rattling shake.
Examples:
- The old door was as shaky as a loose window in the wind.
- His voice sounded as shaky as a loose window in the wind.
11. Like marbles rolling in a box
Meaning: Rattling, uneven shaking.
Examples:
- The drawer rattled like marbles rolling in a box.
- His teeth chattered like marbles rolling in a box.
12. As shaky as thin ice
Meaning: Weak and unstable.
Examples:
- His confidence was as shaky as thin ice.
- She felt as shaky as thin ice before the speech.
13. Like thunder rumbling
Meaning: Deep, powerful shaking.
Examples:
- The ground shook like thunder rumbling.
- His laughter shook the room like thunder rumbling.
14. As trembling as snow on a branch
Meaning: Soft and delicate shaking.
Examples:
- Her fingers were as trembling as snow on a branch.
- He stood as trembling as snow on a branch in winter.
15. Like a phone on silent mode
Meaning: Small but noticeable shaking.
Examples:
- His hand trembled like a phone on silent mode.
- She felt like a phone on silent mode during the wait.
16. As shaky as a newborn calf
Meaning: Weak and learning to stand.
Examples:
- He walked as shaky as a newborn calf.
- Her legs felt as shaky as a newborn calf.
17. Like a drum vibrating
Meaning: Strong and rhythmic shaking.
Examples:
- The walls shook like a drum vibrating.
- His chest felt like a drum vibrating with fear.
18. As trembling as autumn leaves
Meaning: Light but visible shaking.
Examples:
- She was as trembling as autumn leaves.
- His hands were as trembling as autumn leaves in the breeze.
19. Like a train on rough tracks
Meaning: Rough and continuous shaking.
Examples:
- The carriage shook like a train on rough tracks.
- His nerves felt like a train on rough tracks.
20. As shaky as a ladder on uneven ground
Meaning: Very unstable.
Examples:
- He stood as shaky as a ladder on uneven ground.
- Her confidence was as shaky as a ladder on uneven ground.
Conclusion
Now you’ve discovered 20+ expressive similes for shaking with meanings and examples. Instead of simply saying “shaking,” you can write “like jelly on a plate” or “as trembling as a candle flame.”
Similes make your writing clearer and more powerful. Try creating your own similes for shaking and watch your descriptions come alive!
Nick Mateo is a U.S.-based content writer at Aslikee who focuses on creating clear, reliable, and user-friendly content. He is passionate about delivering information that is easy to understand and genuinely helpful for readers.
He spends significant time researching topics to ensure accuracy and relevance. Nick believes that high-quality content is built on trust, transparency, and consistency, and he applies these principles in every article he works on.
At Aslikee, Nick contributes to maintaining strong editorial standards and improving the overall quality of the platform. His goal is to support users with well-structured, value-driven content that meets their needs.
