shudder
/'ʃʌdə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- An involuntary, sudden, and brief trembling or shaking of the body: A shudder is a physical reaction, often caused by fear, disgust, cold, or a strong emotion.
- A wave of intense feeling, especially of fear, horror, or revulsion: It can also describe the emotional sensation itself that causes the physical reaction.
Verb (intransitive):
- To tremble or shake convulsively and involuntarily: To shudder is to experience a sudden, brief shaking of the body, typically as an instinctive response to something frightening, unpleasant, or cold.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- A shudder of fear ran through the crowd.
- She felt a shudder of disgust at the sight.
Verb:
- He shuddered at the memory of the accident.
- The house shuddered in the strong wind.
Advanced Usage
"to shudder to think (of/about)": Used to express that one finds a particular thought or possibility too awful or frightening to contemplate.
- I shudder to think what might have happened if we hadn't arrived in time.
"to give a shudder": To produce or experience a single instance of shuddering.
- The thought gave her a sudden shudder.
Variants and Related Words
- Shuddery (adjective): Causing or characterized by shudders; eerie or frightening.
- It was a shuddery tale of ghosts.
Synonyms
- Noun: Tremor, quiver, shiver, frisson, convulsion.
- Verb: Tremble, shake, quake, quiver, shiver, convulse.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Send a shudder down someone's spine / Send shudders down someone's spine: To cause someone to feel a sudden intense wave of fear, horror, or excitement.
- The eerie sound sent a shudder down my spine.
Noun
- an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
- an almost pleasurable sensation of fright
- a frisson of surprise shot through him
Verb
- tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
- shake, as from cold
- The children are shivering--turn on the heat!