shudder

[shuhd-er]

verb (used without object)

1. to tremble with a sudden convulsive movement, as from horror, fear, or cold.

   Synonyms: quiver

noun

1. a convulsive movement of the body, as from horror, fear, or cold.

shudder

/ ˈʃʌdə /

verb

1. (intr) to shake or tremble suddenly and violently, as from horror, fear, aversion, etc

noun

1. the act of shuddering; convulsive shiver

Other Word Forms

• shuddery adjective
• shuddering adjective
• shudderingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of shudder¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English shodderen (verb) (cognate with German schaudern, from Low German ), frequentative of Old English scūdan “to tremble”; -er ⁶

Word History and Origins

Origin of shudder¹

C18: from Middle Low German schōderen; related to Old Frisian skedda to shake, Old High German skutten to shake

Synonym Study

See shiver ¹.

Example Sentences

Even before the red, it looked likely that Martin's period of calm after Saturday's League Cup win over Hibernian was about to come to a shuddering and noisy end.

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But in the franchise’s ongoing parable of mankind’s hubris, the all-seeing enigma in “Alien: Earth” adds another reason to make us shudder.

Read more on Salon

The press release describes the film as a “warm and deeply personal portrait” of Osbourne and how his world “shuddered to a halt” six years ago upon receiving his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2019.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

My face would scrunch up and I’d shudder from the intense flavors, but I never cried.

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There's a thrilling version of Clocks that shudders with discordant guitar riffs before resolving into a powerful chorus; and an extended acoustic version of Sparks has fans swooning.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• gyrate 
• shiver 
• tremble