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
  • 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
  • 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.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of shudder
Noun
  • Where most body parts can recover from trauma to some degree, damage to our nerves isn’t granted the same latitude.
    — Mike McRae October 21, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Steven Huefner, deputy director of the Election Law Program at Ohio State University, says poll chaplains might be able to calm the frayed nerves of a voting public that is constantly exposed to divisive rhetoric and news about political violence.
    — Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 20 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 students will have to avoid allowing political divisions that might split their movement.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Early hands-on reviews broadly agree that the FP2 leans toward filmmakers, even though Sigma pitches it as an even split between stills and video.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 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
  • Estrogen puts the brakes on the demo crew by capping how much gets torn down and keeps the building crew ramped up to finish the rebuild.
    — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The city already owns a nearby lot and other parcels and wants to tear down the Willis house for the public road expansion.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 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
  • When hit, the projectile breaks up, melts, and partially vaporizes.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Scientists have previously speculated that a GRB would vaporize anything caught in its death rays up to 200 light-years from the source.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 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 29 Oct. 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 shindig

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All