shiver 1 of 2

noun

Definition of shivernext
1
as in shudder
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold the prisoner experienced a sudden shiver when confronted with the sight of the dark basement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in butterflies
shivers plural a sense of panic or extreme nervousness looking down from the window ledge sent shivers up my spine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shiver

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to tremble

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in to split

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shiver
Noun
Which should really send a shiver of age paralysis down every Millennial reader’s spine. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 Speaking to Julia Cunningham on her eponymous podcast, Adams says the moment when Cecile realizes her half-sister is the serial killer (while her mom was a plain ol’ one-off manslaughterer) still gives her the shivers. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
Verb
Each time a luna moth shivered their wings, gearing up for flight from the launch pad of my fingertips, painful memories shook off and fell from my shoulders, telling me to keep flying through the dark to my whole illuminated self. — Kai Coggin, Time, 16 May 2026 It's made with a lightweight linen-blend material that keeps me from overheating in tropical climates, but won't leave me shivering under the AC of the plane. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shiver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shiver
  1. shudder
  2. nerves
  3. tremble
  4. split
  5. shake
  6. tear down
  7. quiver
  8. vaporize
Noun
  • There’s no shriek of a turbofan spooling up, no shudder of a piston engine, and no wait for thrust.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The latest shudder for stocks in the artificial intelligence industry pulled markets lower worldwide on Thursday, while oil prices hit their highest levels since May on worries about the war with Iran.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of shudder
Noun
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic bacterial infection that primarily affects the skin, nerves and eyes.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of nerves
Verb
  • But now, the occupation seems to tremble before Palestinian children holding paper and string.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of tremble
Verb
  • The Global Methodist Church, a conservative group, split from the denomination in 2022.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The men and women, both of whom split their home games between Hartford and M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion on campus, have staged periodic doubleheaders in the years since, when schedules intersected.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of split
Verb
  • Sitake winds up practice with a prayer and insists that the defense and offense shake hands after going at one another all day.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mothers who beat, shook, shot, drowned, strangled, and stabbed their babies.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • The structures were temporary in nature and eventually torn down, including the water gate entrance to a structure called the Electric Building located at the South Lagoon, which is featured in Chavez’s book.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Hedge fund manager Aaron Sosnick, a longtime advocate for bike lanes, put $8 million into an expensive pair of campaigns promoting Raman and tearing down Bass.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of tear down
Verb
  • And as Ternus thumbs through the $1,999-and-up phone, attempting to drag a photo into a text-message box, eagle-eyed viewers notice his hands quivering.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As Jay tries to avoid getting crushed by the whale’s stomach in one quivering chamber or dissolved by acid in the next, Abrams comes up with reactions that feel as plausible as possible in a situation that’s totally unimaginable.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of quiver
Verb
  • The team thinks that this unique double structure is evidence of planets that weren't completely vaporized during this white dwarf's red giant phase.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Right before Jocasta vaporized Katerina Wells, Ultron took a 3-D scan of her face, the final biometric key Jocasta needs for her secret end goal.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of vaporize

Browse Nearby Words

shiv
shiver
shivered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiver. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of effrontery

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All