WordGarden.iovibration
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /vaɪbrˈeɪʃən/
US
- /vaɪˈbreɪʃən/
Meanings
Noun
rapid shaking or oscillating motion
(informal)the emotional atmosphere or energy that a person, place, or situation seems to have
Beyond the definition
A vibration is a rapid back-and-forth movement. Think of a guitar string after it is plucked, the shake of a window when a truck passes, or the buzz of a phone in your pocket. Sometimes you can see it, and sometimes you only feel it.
The word can also describe the mood or feeling a person, place, or situation gives you. A room might have a calm, friendly feeling, or a tense, uneasy one. In everyday English, this use is common in phrases like "good vibrations" or "a strange vibration." In science, the word usually refers to physical motion that can produce sound or move energy through things.
A vibration is a repeated back-and-forth movement. At its most basic, it happens when something shakes, quivers, or moves very quickly around a resting position. You can notice it in a ringing bell, a guitar string, a washing machine, a train moving under the floor, or a phone set to silent mode.
In science, this idea matters because many sounds begin with this kind of motion. When an object moves back and forth, it can disturb the air, water, or another material around it, and those disturbances can travel outward as waves. That is why vibrations are closely connected with sound, noise, and movement in the physical world.
The word is also used in a less literal way. People sometimes use it to talk about the feeling or atmosphere they get from someone or somewhere. You might say a cafe has a relaxed, welcoming vibration, or that a conversation gives off an uneasy vibration. In this sense, the word is close to mood, feeling, or vibe.
So the word can point to something you can measure with instruments, something you can feel in your hands or feet, or even the general atmosphere around you. Whether it describes the buzz of a machine or the feeling in a room, the central idea is the same: a noticeable sense of movement, energy, or response.
Examples
- 1
Car movement
There was a slight vibration in the steering wheel as the car picked up speed.
- 2
Phone alert
She felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket during the meeting.
- 3
Appliance imbalance
The washing machine makes a lot of vibration when the clothes are unevenly distributed.
- 4
Music bass
The bass from the speakers sent vibrations through the floor.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Sound physics
Sound is produced by the vibration of the air around us.
- 6
Structural engineering
Engineers are trying to reduce vibration in the bridge during strong winds.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- vibrationnoun
Forms
- vibrationspluralnoun