shudder
Plural: shudders
Noun
- an almost pleasurable sensation of fright
- an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear)
- A shivering tremor, often from fear or horror.
- A moment of almost pleasurable fear; a frisson.
Verb
Verb Forms: shuddered, shuddering, shudders
- To tremble convulsively, typically from fear or revulsion.
- shake, as from cold
- tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement
- To shake nervously, often from fear or horror.
- To vibrate jerkily.
Examples
- On seeing the spider under his pillow, John shuddered.
- Seeing the spider under his pillow gave John a shudder.
- The opponent made him shudder with a surprise 7-letter word, clearing their rack.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English schoderen, from Middle Dutch schudderen and/or Middle Low German schodderen, iterative forms of the verb at hand in Dutch schudden, Low German schüdden (both “to shake”), German schütten (“to pour”), from Proto-Germanic *skudjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *skewdʰ-. From Low German are also borrowed German schaudern (“to shudder”), Danish skudre.
Synonyms
chill, frisson, quiver, shiver, thrill, throb, tingle, tremor, flutter, jiggle, palpitate, quake, rumble, shake, wiggle
Scrabble Score: 12
shudder: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordshudder: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
shudder: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary