Join free

shaken

English · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

shaken¹

  • /ˈʃeɪk(ə)n/ UK
  • /ˈʃeɪkən/ US

Rhymes with -eɪkən

Where it comes from

The verb is derived from Middle English (i)shaken, from (i- (prefix forming past participle forms of verbs)) + shaken (“to tremble, shake; etc.”) + -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs).

The adjective is derived from the verb.

By surface analysis, shake (verb) + -n (a variant of -en (suffix forming past participle forms of verbs; and adjectives)).

adjective more shaken · most shaken

  1. Moved rapidly in opposite directions alternatingly. [A] chief, / With shout and shaken spear / Stands at the prow, and guides them: […]
  2. Of a drink, especially (alcoholic beverages) a cocktail: mixed by being agitated with ice in a shaker. The waiter brought the Martinis, shaken and not stirred, as [James] Bond had stipulated, and some slivers of lemon peel in a wine glass. Bond twisted two of them and let them sink to the bottom of his drink.
  3. Caused to move (and usually weakened) by a strong force. The earthquake led to many shaken buildings and structures.
  4. archaic, broadly, obsolete Of a cask: taken to pieces which are then tied up together for transportation. A proportion for the ſetting foorth of a ſhip of 200. tunne, for the killing of the VVhale. […] 800. emptie ſhaken hogſheds, […]
  5. broadly Of something mined such as coal or ore: broken into pieces.
  6. broadly Of timber: damaged from being cracked. [Y]ou muſt chuſe a piece of VVood at leaſt tvvo Inches and a quarter over, leſt you vvant Stuff to vvork on: Nay, if your Stuff prove ſhaken or othervviſe unſound, or your Centers be not very exactly pitcht, you may vvant yet more Stuff; […]
  7. figuratively Chiefly of a person: having had one's composure or confidence disrupted or upset; in a state of shock or trauma. We were left shaken by the revelations of abuse.

    Similar: rattled, shocked, shook · Opposite: unshaken

  8. figuratively Weakened by some event. Be mov'd vvith pitty at the afflicted ſtate of this our ſhaken Monarchy, that novv lies labouring under the throvves, and ſtruggling againſt the grudges of more dreaded Calamities.

    Opposite: unshaken

verb

  1. participle, past past participle of shake

shaken²

  • /ˈʃɑːkɛn/ UK
  • /ˈʃɑkɛn/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Japanese 車剣 (しゃけん, shaken), from 車 (しゃ, sha, “vehicle; wheel”) + 剣 (けん, ken, “sword”).

noun shaken

  1. A flat shuriken (“dart or throwing blade”) resembling a spiked wheel, as opposed to the longer stick-like kind.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: agitated, jolted, flustered, upset, troubled, stunned, shocked, unsettled, damaged, horrified, confused, appalled, concussed, disrupted, frustrated, dismayed

Translations

Every language

adj chiefly of a person: having had one’s composure or confidence disrupted or upset

Deutscherschüttert, zittrig

noun flat shuriken resembling a spiked wheel

日本語車剣 shaken

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"shaken." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shaken. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

shaken. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shaken

Chicago

"shaken." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shaken.

BibTeX
@misc{shaken_2026,
  title = {shaken},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shaken},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}