verb B1 Intermediate

shiver

SHIH-vuh

Shiver (verb) means to tremble briefly, usually from cold, fear, or a strong emotion. Example: “She shivered as the icy wind cut through her jacket.”

verb

To tremble briefly, usually from cold, fear, or a strong emotion.

"She shivered as the icy wind cut through her jacket."

"He shivered at the thought of speaking in public."

noun

A brief trembling, or the shudder it produces.

"A shiver ran down his spine when he heard the noise upstairs."

A splinter or small broken fragment, especially of glass or wood.

"The window smashed into a hundred shivers of glass."

A group of sharks swimming together.

"Divers spotted a shiver of reef sharks near the drop-off."

How to use shiver

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA quick, involuntary shudder — from cold, fear, excitement, or sometimes a broken splinter of something.

Common mistake

The "splinter" and "group of sharks" senses are much rarer than the everyday "tremble with cold/fear" meaning.

Common pairings

send shivers down your spine shiver with cold a shiver of fear

Word forms

shivered past tense, shivered past tense, shivers plural, shivers plural, shivers plural, Shivers plural, shivers singular, shivers singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She _____ as the icy wind cut through her jacket.

Etymology

Origin uncertain — possibly related to an old word for splitting into fragments, later applied to the trembling of the body.

Synonyms

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shake chill thrill throb quiver tingle tremble shudder frisson

Related words

cool cold throw temperature adventure shake earthquake excitement

Rhymes for shiver

liver river giver diver fiver quiver driver waiver sliver Oliver deliver upriver

See all rhymes for shiver →

Frequently asked questions

What does “shiver” mean?

The word “shiver” means to tremble briefly, usually from cold, fear, or a strong emotion. In plain terms, a quick, involuntary shudder — from cold, fear, excitement, or sometimes a broken splinter of something.

How do you pronounce “shiver”?

“Shiver” is pronounced SHIH-vuh (/ˈʃɪvɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “shiver” in a sentence?

Here is “shiver” used in a sentence: “She shivered as the icy wind cut through her jacket.”

What part of speech is “shiver”?

Depending on how it is used, “shiver” can be a verb and a noun.

How many meanings does “shiver” have?

“Shiver” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to tremble briefly, usually from cold, fear, or a strong emotion.

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