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Synonyms

goose bumps

American  
[goos-buhmps] / ˈgusˌbʌmps /
Or goosebumps

plural noun

  1. a rough condition of the skin, resembling that of a plucked goose, induced by cold or fear; horripilation.

Etymology

Origin of goose bumps

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

Justin Matthews, director of Hansons Auctioneers, described the watch as having given him "goose bumps" when he first held it.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

"I got goose bumps when I first read the script," the British actress tells the BBC, adding she had five auditions for the role.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

“It gives me goose bumps to know that the vision that we had back then” paid off, Cárdenas said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2024

On a walk around Central Park this fall, he repeatedly pointed to his forearms to show that the conversation had given him goose bumps.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2024

Mami shivered and rubbed her arms to keep the goose bumps down.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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.