frisson
noun

- a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill

- a brief moment of emotional excitement

- a shudder or shiver, as of excitement, fear, or pleasure

Oxford Languages / Merriam-Webster / Collins Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "frisson" is of French origin, where it can mean "fever, illness, shiver, or thrill". This French term was borrowed into English in 1777 by British politician Horace Walpole, who used it to describe a general "emotional thrill".

The French word frisson itself was borrowed in the twelfth century from the Latin verb frigere, which means "to be cold" and is also the source of the English word "frigid".

In English, the word "frisson" is used to describe a sudden feeling, especially of excitement or fear. It can be a thrilling shiver, and its meaning lies directly between thrill and fear.

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REGRETFUL SPEECH

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” ― Ambrose Bierce

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WHAT’S YOUR FRISSON?

“Amused to Death” by Roger Waters always gives me the shivers! https://bit.ly/44qskBB

Do you have a favourite frisson? We'd love to hear it, drop us a line at: paulsmith.psa(AT)gmail.com

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SYNONYMS

aesthetic chill, buzz, charge, chill, delicious tremor, delight, emotional flicker (shiver), FRISSON (of excitement, of fear), funny feeling, goosebumps, gooseflesh, hair-raising tingle, intimations (of), jolt, keen thrill, kick, momentary thrill, pleasurable shiver (tension), quickening (of the pulse), rush, shiver of excitement, spark, tickle, thrill (of excitement), shivers down the spine, spine-tingling, the shivers, tingle-down-the-spine, thrill, tingle of excitement, tremor, vibration

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation, say something like:

“I’m making my way through a Spotify playlist of ‘715 songs to give you FRISSON’… it’s interesting to identify those that give one the shivers.”

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