Shiver Meaning
/ˈʃɪvɚ/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo tremble or shake, especially when cold or frightened.
verbTo cause to shake or tremble, as a sail, by steering close to the wind.
Sentence Examples
The mere thought of a snake makes me shiver.
"The castle is haunted," he said with a shiver.
A shiver went down my spine.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The cold wind made him ____ as he waited for the bus.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cold wind made her ____ as she waited for the bus on the poorly lit street corner.
Word Origin & History
Origin uncertain, perhaps an alteration of chavel, or a frequentive of sheaf.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The man that shivered on the brink of sin, / Thus steeled and hardened, ventures boldly in."
— 1693, Thomas Creech, The thirteenth Satire of Juvenal:
"Mr. Mason, shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton's chair, and said something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words, "old woman,"—"quite troublesome.""
— 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “CHAPTER XVIII”, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:
"He was shivering a little, for he had always been used to sleeping in a proper bed, and by this time his coat had worn so thin and threadbare from hugging that it was no longer any protection to him."
— 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
"Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth."
— 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:
"But they had already discovered that he could be bullied, and they had it their own way; and presently Selwyn lay prone upon the nursery floor, impersonating a ladrone while pleasant shivers chased themselves over Drina, whom he was stalking."
— 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter I, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The cold wind made him ____ as he waited for the bus.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The cold wind made her ____ as she waited for the bus on the poorly lit street corner.