frisson
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of frisson
First recorded in 1770–80; from French: “shiver, shudder,” Old French friçons (plural), from Late Latin frictiōnem, accusative of frictiō “shiver” (taken as derivative of frīgēre “to be cold”), from Latin: “massage, friction”; see also friction
Explanation
A frisson is a thrilling shiver. Some people love roller coasters so much that they feel a frisson of excitement just looking at one. You're just as likely to feel a frisson whether you're scared or excited; its meaning lies directly between thrill and fear. When you hear a scary sound in the basement late at night, and open the door to investigate, you might feel a frisson of fear as you start to descend the steps. The Latin root is frigere, "to be cold," and while a frisson is certainly shivery, its source is a thrill rather than a chill.
Vocabulary lists containing frisson
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s the thing that gives the Epstein conspiracy theories their distinctly frothy frisson: a blending of vital ingredients, one very old and the other comparatively new.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2025
The frisson of authenticity is enhanced by paleo-sculptor Gary Staab’s spectacular models, complemented by Beth Zaiken’s murals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2025
But then, they also take us to the dark side, the frisson and the sense of being on the edge of tragedy.
From Salon • Oct. 24, 2024
“It’s going to add a frisson of excitement to the morning hikes.”
From BBC • May 23, 2024
But she felt, also, a frisson of expectation, an eagerness to discover America.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
