shudder
shudder
Definition
shud·der (s̸hud′ər)
intransitive verb
to shake or tremble suddenly and violently, as in horror or extreme disgust
Etymology: ME schoderen, akin to Ger schaudern, to feel dread, OFris skedda, to shake < IE base *(s)kut-, to shake > Lith kutù, to shake up
noun
the act of shuddering; a convulsive tremor of the body
shud′·der·ingly adverb
shud′·dery adjective
the shudders
a feeling of horror, repugnance, etc.
shudder
Synonyms
shudder
Synonyms
shudder
Usage Examples
Object
- halt: Now MS seemed to have brought his life to a shuddering halt.
- climax: The week came to its shuddering climax with President Bush's speech to the UN General Assembly.
- breath: A few minutes later the calf struggled into the world, took one first shuddering breath, closely followed by its last.
Preposition: down
- spine: The word alone was calculated to send a shudder down the spine of any honest 19th century worker.
Preposition: at
- thought: I shudder at the thought of a bleeding liberal like Kerry in office.
- sight: Which town has left you shuddering at the sight of gray estates stretching out into the distance?
- memory: We only wanted to do it as a Robin Hood type of thing. ' The singer shudders at the memory.
Adjective modifier
- slight: The world suddenly finds itself in an utterly new situation, vulnerable to the slightest shudder, for which few are prepared.
- cold: Those of you of " a certain age " may have a little cold shudder at the name Nancekuke.
Converse of object
- send: The word alone was calculated to send a shudder down the spine of any honest 19th century worker.
- feel: Thorne felt a shudder pass through him at the thought.
- bring: But of course there's one more twist in the tale, designed to bring a final shudder to the audience.
- cause: Attacks that might have caused economic shudders only a few years ago have almost no impact today.
Modifying Another Word
- slightly: For long the two enemies looked at one another; Hook shuddering slightly, and Peter with the strange smile upon his face.
- still: I still shudder at the sound of the Stukas ' sirens whenever I see them on film.
- again: Philip said he hoped so, too; and that made me shudder again.
Used with why or when
- when: But I still shudder when I think of it: I thought I should have died when our eyes met!
Infinitive complement
- think: I shudder to think what the others are like.
- imagine: What sort of jet they could produce, or for how long, I shudder to imagine.
Preposition: with
- horror: One can only shudder with horror to think what these children would have gone through.
