Shudder
/ˈʃʌd.ər/noun
To tremble or shake involuntarily, especially from fear, cold, or revulsion.
Did you know?Shudder is related to older Germanic words meaning to shake or quake, and it likely echoes the same deep ancestral root behind words for violent trembling across the Indo-European family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skudrōną / *skudran
“to shake, dart, or move suddenly”
Old English
OE
scuðrian
“to tremble or shake”
Middle English
ME
shudderen
“to tremble, quiver, or shake with fear or cold”
Modern English
English
shudder
“to shake involuntarily, especially from fear or disgust”