Merriam Webster defines the noun frisson as a “brief moment of emotional excitement”. The Collins English Dictionary has a similar meaning of “shiver of fear or excitement” . The appropriate synonyms are shudder and thrill which is also the translation of frisson in French (according to About.com).
Did you know that the first known use of this word was in 1777 and as well as its French origin, it is also a derivative of the Late Latin word frigēre (to be cold) – source: Merriam Webster.
The use of frisson in sentences
- He felt a slight frisson when watching the scary film [when frisson means shiver of fear].
- Sally always showed frisson every time her boyfriend picked her up from work [when frisson means emotional excitement].
My thoughts: Thank you to my brother who introduced me to this word and inspired me to use it for my blog today. I’d never heard of the word before, but may consider using it in my writing from now on when appropriate.
Until tomorrow…
Sandra
Freelance writer
www.sandramadeira.com
(For information on my services as a freelance writer as well as details of my book and other blogs).
This blog post forms part of My Writing Challenge.
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They use this word a lot in romance novels!
Posted by amymarie | November 25, 2011, 7:49 pm