Spanish word

escalofrío

Pronunciation

IPA/eskaloˈfɾio/

Meaning

  • masculine nounchill

Example

Tengo un escalofrío.

I feel a chill.

Illustration for escalofrío (chill)

More examples

Al entrar en la habitación fría, sentí un escalofrío.

I felt a chill when I entered the cold room.

Core concept

Brief intense chill that runs through the body and produces shivering and goosebumps.

Common phrases

  • tener un escalofrío

    feel a chill

  • sufrir un escalofrío

    be struck by a chill

Similar words

frío: General feeling of cold affecting a person or an environment.
piel de gallina: Small skin bumps from cold or strong emotion.

Definition in Spanish

Sensación súbita de frío que suele acompañarse de temblor y piel de gallina, producida por frío, fiebre o una emoción intensa.

Word origin

The word originates in medieval Spanish and ultimately ties to frío (from Latin frigidus), describing a sudden running cold that provokes trembling and goosebumps.

Usage tips

  • Commonly expressed as tengo escalofríos or tener escalofríos to indicate chills from fever or cold, and me dio un escalofrío expresses a momentary shiver from fear or awe.

Other meanings

  • goosebumpsnoun
  • shuddernoun
  • shivernoun

Opposites

Related words

  • escalofriantehair-raisingadjective

Word lists with this word