horripilate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/RareLiterary, Technical (medical/physiology), Formal
Quick answer
What does “horripilate” mean?
To cause or experience goosebumps or the bristling of hairs (as from fear, cold, or awe).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause or experience goosebumps or the bristling of hairs (as from fear, cold, or awe).
To experience a shivering reaction, often involuntary, typically in response to an intense stimulus such as terror, ecstatic music, or extreme cold.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British literary contexts.
Connotations
Elicits a formal, slightly archaic, or deliberately erudite tone.
Frequency
Extremely low-frequency; 'get goosebumps' or 'have one's hair stand on end' are ubiquitous equivalents.
Grammar
How to Use “horripilate” in a Sentence
[Subject] horripilates.[Stimulus] caused [Experiencer] to horripilate.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “horripilate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Listening to the cello suite in that cavernous space, she felt herself horripilate.
- A sudden draught from the tomb made him horripilate.
American English
- The eerie theremin solo was enough to make any listener horripilate.
- He horripilated visibly as the cold wave hit him.
adverb
British English
- The wind blew horripilatingly through the gaps in the old window frame.
American English
- The suspense built horripilatingly slowly.
adjective
British English
- It was a genuinely horripilating experience, leaving her covered in gooseflesh.
- The horripilating tale was perfect for the dark winter night.
American English
- She described the encounter in horripilating detail.
- The documentary contained horripilating footage of the ascent.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Possible in medical or physiological texts describing piloerection.
Everyday
Not used; would sound odd or pretentious.
Technical
Used precisely to describe the pilomotor reflex causing cutis anserina.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “horripilate”
- Using it transitively as a common synonym for 'horrify' (e.g., *The movie horripilated me).
- Misspelling as 'horripalate' (as in 'palate').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a rare, formal, or literary word. In everyday speech, phrases like 'get goosebumps' are always preferred.
Yes, though less commonly. It can describe the physical reaction to profoundly beautiful or awe-inspiring music, art, or scenery, not just fear.
The noun is 'horripilation', meaning the state or process of having goosebumps.
It comes from the Latin 'horripilāre', from 'horrēre' (to bristle, tremble) + 'pilus' (hair).
To cause or experience goosebumps or the bristling of hairs (as from fear, cold, or awe).
Horripilate is usually literary, technical (medical/physiology), formal in register.
Horripilate: in British English it is pronounced /hɒˈrɪp.ɪ.leɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /hɔˈrɪp.ə.leɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a HORROR film that makes your PILI (Latin for hairs) LATE - they stand up late in fright.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR/AWE IS A PHYSICAL FORCE ERECTING BODY HAIR.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the verb 'horripilate' be most precisely used?