Standard Lemma guide

frisson

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈfɹiː.sɔ̃ː/
  • US: /fɹiˈsoʊn/
  • US: /fɹiˈsõʊn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with (US) -oʊn

1

noun

Meaning 1

A sudden surge of excitement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I felt a frisson just as they were about to announce the winner in my category.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A shiver; a thrill.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Whenever the villain's theme played in the movie I felt a sudden frisson down my back.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

an almost pleasurable sensation of fright

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a frisson of surprise shot through him

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shiver, chill, quiver, shudder, thrill, tingle

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fear, fearfulness, fright

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French frisson.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: väristys — a sudden surge of excitement
  • German: Nervenkitzel — a sudden surge of excitement
  • German: Erregung — a sudden surge of excitement
  • German: Anwandlung — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Hungarian: borzongás — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Italian: fremito — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gys — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sitring — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Polish: dreszcz — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Spanish: tiriton — a sudden surge of excitement
  • Finnish: väristys — a shiver
  • German: Schauder — a shiver
  • German: Schauer — a shiver
  • German: Zittern — a shiver
  • Hindi: सिहरन (sihran) — a shiver
  • Hungarian: hidegrázás — a shiver
  • Italian: brivido — a shiver
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sitring — a shiver
  • Norwegian Bokmål: dirring — a shiver
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gys — a shiver
  • Polish: dreszcz — a shiver
  • Russian: дрожь (drožʹ) — a shiver
  • Spanish: escalofrío — a shiver