shivering

shivering — verb

1. to shake in small, quick movements that you cannot control, because your body is

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to shake in small, quick movements that you cannot control, because your body is reacting to cold weather, a sudden feeling of fear, or an illness that causes a fever

Example

The jogger was shivering after running in the freezing rain for nearly an hour.

progressive: was shivering + after + cause

Rin was shivering as she stepped out of the warm house into the snowy night.

Common collocations
  • shiver with cold
  • shiver with fear
  • shiver from the cold
  • shiver uncontrollably
  • shiver visibly
  • shiver in the wind
Synonyms
  • tremble

    Similar small, rapid shaking, but tremble more often suggests fear or nervousness rather than cold

  • shake

    More general word — can describe any kind of vibration or movement, not just from cold or fear

  • quiver

    Very fine, almost invisible vibration, often from a suppressed emotion such as excitement

Grammar Patterns

shiver + with/from + cause

be shivering

Usage Note

Intransitive only — the verb never takes a direct object. The cause is introduced by 'with' (shivering with cold/fear), 'from' (shivering from the cold), or 'in' (shivering in the wind). This verb is very common in progressive forms (is shivering, was shivering) because it describes an ongoing physical condition.

Common Mistakes

She shivered the cold air.
She was shivering from the cold air.
Shiver is intransitive; it cannot take a direct object.
He shivered of fear.
He was shivering with fear.
The correct preposition is 'with', not 'of', when stating the cause.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Shiver, tremble, shake, and quiver all describe small, rapid movements of the body, but they differ in cause and intensity. Shiver is most strongly tied to cold — it is the natural word for when your body reacts to a drop in temperature. Tremble often points to emotion such as fear, nervousness, or excitement (e.g., "Her voice trembled as she thanked the audience"). Shake is the most general of the four and can cover physical causes like too much coffee, weakness, or fear (e.g., "His hands shook as he lifted the heavy box"). Quiver describes a very fine, subtle vibration, often from a strong but suppressed feeling. For everyday descriptions of being cold, shiver is the best choice; for nervous anxiety, tremble or shake is more natural.

shiver ↗tremble ↗shake ↗quiver

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • shiver from head to toe
  • shiver in one's boots

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word shiver (meaning 'to tremble') is first recorded in Middle English around the 13th century, where it appeared as 'schiveren'. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may be related to an Old English word for 'to shake' or to a Scandinavian word for 'to tremble'. This sense of the word is unrelated to the other verb 'shiver' meaning 'to break into pieces', which came from a different Germanic root.