Patricia Craig
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Frisson and Shiver
A chill down one’s spine isn’t always a sensation of fear or suspense. As Daniel Marenco writes, “What is most exciting about literature is how much it surprises us and makes us fall in love. Poetry especially has this gift, the gift of provoking in us a frisson, a shiver, this capacity, like a bee, to put honey on the tip of our tongue, provoking that pleasant sensation of feeling and perceiving.” His relating of frisson and shiver is apt given that frisson comes from the French word for “shiver.” (Those familiar with shivering will note that it’s also apt that frisson traces back to ultimately to Late Latin frīgēre “to be cold” or frīgēscere “to become cold.”) A frisson can be compared to a thrill or a rush, as it refers to a brief moment of emotional excitement, as in “a frisson of surprise.”
Examples of frisson in a Sentence
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2025
There was a frisson of excitement.
—Jay Glennie, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
This in itself makes a refreshing change from the usual baffling Marvel McGuffin, and even though the outcome is wholly predictable, there’s a definite frisson in the sight of The Herald’s liquid-metal hand trying to snatch Sue’s baby from the womb.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for frisson
Cite this Entry
“Frisson.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frisson. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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