MEANING
To shake briefly or repeatedly, commonly from cold but sometimes from fear or excitement.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- shiver with apprehension
- shiver despite the heat
- shiver at a memory
On the page
He shivered despite the heat from the stove.
The whispered warning made her shiver.
Thinking of the flooded stairs, I shiver even now.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- shiver / shivers
- Past tense
- shivered
- Past participle
- shivered
- Present participle
- shivering
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- shiver / shivers
- Present continuous
- am/is/are shivering
- Present perfect
- have/has shivered
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been shivering
- Past
- shivered
- Past continuous
- was/were shivering
- Past perfect
- had shivered
- Past perfect continuous
- had been shivering
- Future
- will shiver / shivers
- Future continuous
- will be shivering
- Future perfect
- will have shivered
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been shivering
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Often lighter or ripple-like compared with shudder; warmth in the scene can clarify a fear-driven shiver. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): shiver, shivers, shivered, shivered, shivering.
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