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

“I hate thinking about all the magazines and newsweeklies and newspapers that have shuddered to a halt since I began working,” Orlean writes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Now I'm afraid of the river," he shuddered.

Read more on Barron's

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.

Read more on BBC

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

Related Words

• gyrate 
• shiver 
• tremble