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USF Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
shiver vs tremble
Could you please explain the difference, even subtle, between these two words?
shiver
tremble
shiver
tremble
Top answer
I would say that there are some differences in usage, even though these words do have similar meanings. For example, while one could certainly say, "The last earthquake was so severe that the buildings trembled on their foundations," using "shivered" instead of "trembled" would seem quite strange (at least to me). A voice can also tremble with emotion, but not shiver.
- I would say that there are some differences in usage, even though these words do have similar meanings.
- For example, while one could certainly say, "The last earthquake was so severe that the buildings trembled on their foundations," using "shivered" instead of "trembled" would seem quite strange (at least to me).
- A voice can also tremble with emotion, but not shiver.
- Leaves can tremble in the breeze, but they usually don't shiver in the breeze.
- In general, I most often use "shiver" to describe the shaking of a living thing in response to extreme cold or fear, and "tremble" for everything else.
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2 Answers
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I would say that there are some differences in usage, even though these words do have similar meanings.
For example, while one could certainly say, "The last earthquake was so severe that the buildings trembled on their foundations," using "shivered" instead of "trembled" would seem quite strange (at least to me).
A voice can also tremble with emotion, but not shiver. Leaves c
For example, while one could certainly say, "The last earthquake was so severe that the buildings trembled on their foundations," using "shivered" instead of "trembled" would seem quite strange (at least to me).
A voice can also tremble with emotion, but not shiver. Leaves c
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