shudder

5 definitions • 10 examples

to shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling:

The sight of so much blood made him shudder.

She shuddered at the thought of kissing him.

When something shudders, it shakes violently and quickly:

I heard a massive explosion and the ground shuddered beneath me.

There was a screech of brakes and the bus shuddered to a halt (= shook violently and stopped).

the act of shuddering:

He gave a slight shudder as he considered how close he had come to death.

She recalled with a shudder how her boss had once tried to kiss her.

figurative America's second biggest supermarket chain has sent a shudder through (= has had a strong effect on) its rivals by slashing its prices.

to shake suddenly and briefly, esp. because of an unpleasant thought or feeling:

I shuddered, remembering the frightening stories I had heard.

a sudden and brief shaking movement of the body, esp. because of an unpleasant emotion:

When the car flipped over, a shudder went through the crowd watching the race.

Just thinking about that film sends shudders down my spine.