- Shudder is the act of shaking or trembling, especially because of fear.
The act of shaking out of fear is an example of shudder.
- To shudder is to shake or tremble, often because of fear.
When you begin to shake because you are afraid, this is an example of a situation where you shudder.
Origin of shudderMiddle English schoderen, akin to German schaudern, to feel dread, Old Frisian skedda, to shake ; from Indo-European base an unverified form (s)kut-, to shake from source Lithuanian kutù, to shake up
intransitive verbshud·dered, shud·der·ing, shud·ders
- To shiver convulsively, as from fear or revulsion. See Synonyms at shake.
- To vibrate; quiver: The airplane shuddered in the turbulence.
- A convulsive shiver, as from fear or revulsion.
- A vibration or trembling motion.
Origin of shudderMiddle English shodderen, perhaps of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin.
(third-person singular simple present shudders, present participle shuddering, simple past and past participle shuddered)
Either from Middle Dutch schudderen or from Middle Low German schoderen (whence also Danish skudre). Cognate with Low German schüdden, Dutch schudden and German schaudern.