shake up

verb

To agitate by shaking.

“Seeing the car accident really shook her up.”

Similar
jarbump aroundreorganizereorganisesuccussstimulateshakeexcite
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Meanings

verbshake up (third-person singular simple present shakes up, present participle shaking up, simple past shook up, past participle shaken up)

present singular third person shakes up · participle present shaking up · past shook up · participle past shaken up

  1. transitiveTo agitate by shaking.

    If you shake up a can of cola and then open it, you get an explosion.

  2. transitiveTo restore to its original shape by shaking.
  3. idiomaticinformaltransitiveTo upset or distress (a person).

    Seeing the car accident really shook her up.

  4. informaltransitiveTo reorganize, to make reforms in.

    The new boss is going to shake things up, so be aware.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbshock physically

Similar
jarbump around
Broader
movedisplace

verborganize anew

Similar
reorganizereorganise
Broader
organizeorganise

verbshake; especially (a patient to detect fluids or air in the body)

Similar
succuss
Broader
shakeagitate

verbstir the feelings, emotions, or peace of

Similar
stimulateshakeexcitestirgeek out
Broader
arouseelicitenkindle

verbchange the arrangement or position of

Similar
agitatevexdisturbcommovestir upraise up
Broader
movedisplace

verbmake fuller by shaking

Similar
fluff upplump up
Broader
shakeagitate
Also see
agitatecommovedisturbexcitefluff upgeek outjarplump upraise upreorganizeshakestimulatestirstir upsuccussvex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian друсам
  • друсам (drusam)to agitate by shaking
Catalan reformar
  • reformarto reorganize or reform
Chinese Mandarin 搖晃 /摇晃, 動搖 /动摇
  • 搖晃 /摇晃to agitate by shaking
  • 動搖 /动摇 (dòngyáo)to upset or distress
Finnish ravistaa, järkyttää
  • ravistaato agitate by shaking
  • järkyttääto upset or distress
French reformer, réorganiser
  • reformerto reorganize or reform
  • réorganiserto reorganize or reform
German schütteln, aufschütteln
  • schüttelnto agitate by shaking
  • aufschüttelnto agitate by shaking
  • aufrüttelnto agitate by shaking
  • durcheinander wirbelnto agitate by shaking
  • erschütternto upset or distress
  • völlig durcheinanderbringento upset or distress
  • aus der Fassung bringento upset or distress
  • aus den Fugen bringento upset or distress
  • umhauento upset or distress
  • von Grund auf ändernto reorganize or reform
  • tiefgreifend verändernto reorganize or reform
  • umkrempelnto reorganize or reform
Italian stressare, riorganizzare
  • stressareto upset or distress
  • riorganizzareto reorganize or reform
  • riformareto reorganize or reform
Japanese 振る, 動揺する
  • 振るto agitate by shaking
  • 動揺するto upset or distress
Latin suscitō
  • suscitōto agitate by shaking
Portuguese reformar, reorganizar
  • reformarto reorganize or reform
  • reorganizarto reorganize or reform
Spanish reformar, reorganizar
  • reformarto reorganize or reform
  • reorganizarto reorganize or reform
Swedish skaka om, skaka om
  • skaka omto agitate by shaking
  • skaka omto reorganize or reform
Cite this entry
APA

shake up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shake%20up

MLA

“shake up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shake%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shake up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shake%20up.

Source: shake up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.