Shook

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ʃʊk/

Definitions

1. The past tense of the action to move something quickly back and forth or up and down ; experiencing a state of nervousness, fear, or emotional disturbance
2. Used to describe when something has been moved with a shaking motion in the past ; showing signs of anxiety, shock, or being emotionally unsettled
3. Refers to the completion of shaking or trembling something previously ; feeling disturbed, alarmed, or internally unsettled by an event or thought

Etymology: "Shook" is the past tense of "shake," and the verb's history is far older than its modern sense of trembling with fear. Its roots lie in Old English "scacan," meaning to move or travel, which gradually narrowed toward the sense of violent, rapid movement. The past tense took its present shape as English vowels shifted over the centuries, and the form "shook" has been standard since the Middle English period. The word's connection to "shock" is worth knowing. "Shock," as in a bundle of sheaves, comes from a related Germanic root, and the two words sit close together in the family tree. Both describe something gathered up and agitated or struck, which helps explain why a sudden blow or jolt came to be called a shock.

Synonyms: trembled, quaked, jolted, wobbled

Antonyms: stabilized, calmed, settled