to send chills down someone's spine

Examples

• All

• The eerie music in the horror film sent chills down my spine as the ghost appeared on screen.

• When that worthless creep in the White House makes fun of God in public and the idiots in the audience laugh and applaud like morons, that just sends chills down my spine!

  Blog text (25)

• As I was reading, I put myself in the situation, and it literally sent chills down my spine!

  Blog text (27)

• Oh my goodness, this sent chills down my spine.

  Blog text (27)

• This passage really sent chills down my spine this time.

  Blog text (2)

• That sends chills down my spine.

  Blog text (13)

• Anyway, your story sends chills down my spine and seems much more plausible than the fire scenario.

  Blog text (31)

• His housekeeper died, and at her graveside, he gave a speech that was so awful it sent chills down your spine.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Ransom Riggs introduces some new, abominable characters and situations that will send chills down the reader's spine.

  Academic text (2015)

• Hearing the old legend about the haunted house always sends chills down my spine.

Synonyms

S

to spook

vsto send chills down someone's spine

97 4.8

To suddenly frighten a person or animal so they panic

emphasizes sudden intense feeling of fear or dread without panic

H

to horrify

vsto send chills down someone's spine

90 4.3

Make someone feel very shocked, afraid, or disgusted

is usually less about disgust and more about sudden fear or thrill

S

to scare the hell out of

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

56 6.7

To make someone very afraid

can also refer to excitement or awe, not only extreme fright

G

to give someone chills

vsto send chills down someone's spine

12 5.8

To cause a sudden feeling of fear or strong excitement that makes someone shiver

focuses more on the overall sudden emotion rather than just the body reaction

S

to scare the bejesus out of

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

5 8.8

To make someone very afraid

is similar but can include milder excitement as well as pure fear

S

to scare the bejesus

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

5 9.0

To frighten someone very much by a sudden event or loud noise

is broader, including intense thrill or dread besides pure shock

S

to scare the life out of

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

3 5.6

To make someone very afraid

allows a sense of thrill or dread, not only severe fright

C

to chill to the bone

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

3 6.3

To make someone feel very cold or deeply frightened

tilts more to sudden emotional reaction of fear or excitement

S

to send shivers down someone's spine

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

1 6.0

Cause someone to feel a sudden strong fear or excitement

has identical meaning but uses different wording

M

to make hair stand up

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

5.3

Cause a strong fear or surprise that gives you goosebumps

is broader, covering sudden fear or dread beyond the tingling

M

to make someone's skin crawl

vsto send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

7.4

Cause a strong feeling of fear or disgust with a creepy physical feeling

focuses more on sudden fear or thrilling dread rather than disgust

Antonyms

C

to comfort

172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

R

to reassure

163 3.4

To make someone feel less worried and more confident

How Intense

to terrify

148 3.2

to send chills down someone's spine

• Informal

1 5.9

to spook

97 4.8

to startle

131 3.7

to unsettle

7 4.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology