as in thrill
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings
those two are still caught up in the giddy frisson of a new romance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frisson
At some kind of reception in a high-end Manhattan hotel, guest Sophie (Silverstone) claps eyes on cater waiter Elliot (Glusman), creating immediate mutual frisson.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
Its background, a pale yellow gradient, still gives me a slight frisson, like a Playboy issue hidden under the bed.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
And yet there was little news in it, beyond the frisson of excitement at the beginning when Al Green, a Texas Democrat, was thrown out of the chamber for protesting.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
When the wearer’s partner touches his or her smartphone—the sensitive regions are helpfully indicated on a template on the phone’s screen—the wearer feels a gentle frisson, or even a light stroke, depending on whether the partner has touched or swiped the screen.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2014
See All Example Sentences for frisson
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 July 2025
Its background, a pale yellow gradient, still gives me a slight frisson, like a Playboy issue hidden under the bed.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2025
And yet there was little news in it, beyond the frisson of excitement at the beginning when Al Green, a Texas Democrat, was thrown out of the chamber for protesting.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
When the wearer’s partner touches his or her smartphone—the sensitive regions are helpfully indicated on a template on the phone’s screen—the wearer feels a gentle frisson, or even a light stroke, depending on whether the partner has touched or swiped the screen.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2014
See All Example Sentences for frisson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frisson
Noun
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Now the pursuit of thrill seekers, subway surfing has picked up steam online, thanks in part to viral social media videos, with the activity having been adopted in big cities such as New York.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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For Halloween vibes, Busch Gardens transforms with Halloween Harvest fun and the thrills of Howl-O-Scream.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Gipson was the only defensive lineman on kick coverage.—
Matt Barrows,
New York Times,
14 Oct. 2025
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Powell’s comments caused a kick-up in the Dow Tuesday afternoon, climbing nearly 400 points after having fallen 600 throughout the day owing to trade tensions.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frisson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frisson. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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