shivering

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Shaking in small, quick movements because you are cold, frightened or ill.

   Grammar: Often placed before a noun: a shivering child.

   Patterns

   • a shivering child
   • shivering with cold

   The shivering hikers huddled around the fire.

   A shivering puppy waited outside the door in the rain.

   He wrapped a blanket around the shivering girl.

2. 2noununcountable

   The act or condition of shaking in quick, small movements, especially from cold or fear.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable: the shivering stopped, not a shivering.

   Patterns

   • fits of shivering
   • shivering and sweating

   The shivering stopped once she got into a hot bath.

   Fever often brings shivering and aching muscles.

   Uncontrollable shivering is a warning sign of severe cold.

3. 3verbintransitive

   The -ing form of shiver: shaking slightly and quickly from cold, fear or excitement.

   Grammar: Has no object; often followed by with: she was shivering with cold.

   Patterns

   • be shivering with something
   • be shivering in something

   I was shivering in my thin jacket at the bus stop.

   The kids stood shivering by the lake after their swim.

   She was shivering with excitement before going on stage.

Common combinations

shivering with cold

We stood shivering with cold on the platform.

shivering with fear

The boy sat shivering with fear during the storm.

a shivering wreck

After the long wait outside, she was a shivering wreck.

start shivering

As the sun went down, we all started shivering.

shivering uncontrollably

He was shivering uncontrollably after falling in the river.

Synonyms and how they differ

trembling

Trembling is more often caused by fear, nerves or weakness, while shivering usually points to cold or fever.

shaking

Shaking is a general word for any movement, usually larger than the small, fast movements of shivering.

quivering

Quivering describes a faint, light vibration and suits lips, voices or leaves better than a whole cold body.

shuddering

Shuddering is a single strong convulsion, often from disgust or horror, rather than continuous small shaking.

Opposites

Word family

shiver verb

to shake slightly from cold or fear

shiver noun

a short shaking movement of the body

shivery adjective

feeling cold and likely to shake, often from illness

shivered verb

past tense of shiver

Commonly confused: shivering or shuddering?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “shivering”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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