- to shake or tremble, as from cold or fear
- the act of shivering; a tremulous motion
- the shivers ⇒ an attack of shivering, esp through fear or illness
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
shiv•er1 /ˈʃɪvɚ/USA pronunciation v. [no object]
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to shake or tremble with cold, fear, etc.:He came in from the cold, shivering violently.
n. [countable]
- an unsteady, shaking motion:a little shiver of fear.
shiv•er1
(shiv′ər),USA pronunciation v.i.
n.
shiv′er•er, n.
shiv′er•ing•ly, adv.
shiv•er2 (shiv′ər),USA pronunciation v.t., v.i.
n.
- to shake or tremble with cold, fear, excitement, etc.
- Nautical, Naval Terms
- (of a fore-and-aft sail) to shake when too close to the wind.
- (of a sailing vessel) to be headed so close to the wind that the sails shake.
n.
- a tremulous motion;
a tremble or quiver:The thought sent a shiver down her spine. - shivers, an attack of shivering or chills (usually preceded by the).
- 1150–1200; Middle English chivere (noun, nominal); later sh-, apparently for the sake of alliteration in phrase chiver and shake
shiv′er•ing•ly, adv.
- 1. Shiver, quake, shudder refer to a vibratory muscular movement, a trembling, usually involuntary. We shiver with cold, or a sensation such as that of cold:to shiver in thin clothing on a frosty day; to shiver with pleasant anticipation.We quake esp. with fear:to quake with fright.We shudder with horror or abhorrence; the agitation is more powerful and deep-seated than shivering or trembling:to shudder at pictures of a concentration camp.
shiv•er2 (shiv′ər),USA pronunciation v.t., v.i.
- to break or split into fragments.
n.
- a fragment;
splinter.
- 1150–1200; (noun, nominal) Middle English schivere fragment; cognate with German Schiefer schist; (verb, verbal) Middle English schiveren, derivative of the noun, nominal
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shiver /ˈʃɪvə/ vb (intransitive)
shiver /ˈʃɪvə/ vb
- to break or cause to break into fragments
- a splintered piece
'shivering' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):