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
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2
as in butterflies
shivers plural
a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
looking down from the window ledge sent shivers up my spine
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1
Examples of shiver in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
Every sound seems heightened, and every sudden noise sends a jolt right through you, along with a shiver of dread, an effect given amplitude by the discreet use of Alexis Grapsas’ relatively minimalist score.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2024
Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2024
Another, wearing big chains across his torso, shivers during an expletive-laden rant from a bearded man, who calls him a disappointment.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shiver 
Noun
Their determination has also sent uneasy shivers through other African governments grappling with their own angry youth — a Ghanaian lawmaker recently cited the Kenyan protests as a reason to pass responsible legislation.
—Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
Every sound seems heightened, and every sudden noise sends a jolt right through you, along with a shiver of dread, an effect given amplitude by the discreet use of Alexis Grapsas’ relatively minimalist score.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 June 2024
Verb
Prosecutors said home video surveillance showed Thomas and his older brother Anthony shivering inside the bitterly cold garage two nights before the younger boy’s death, when the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling 19 degrees.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2024
Another, wearing big chains across his torso, shivers during an expletive-laden rant from a bearded man, who calls him a disappointment.
—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shiver
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shiver.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shiver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shiver. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
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