estremecer
Lemma Details
Translation: to shudder; to tremble; to shake; to quiver; to shiver; to make shudder; to startle
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'extremiscere', a compound of 'ex' (out) and 'tremiscere' (to begin to tremble), which is the inchoative form of 'tremere' (to tremble). It shares the same Latin root as English words 'tremble', 'tremor', and 'tremendous'. The 'es-' prefix in Spanish often corresponds to the Latin 'ex-', indicating movement outward or intensification.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 40%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Su cuerpo se estremeció de frío.
His body shuddered from the cold.
La noticia hizo estremecer a toda la comunidad.
The news made the entire community shudder.
Me estremezco al pensar en lo que podría haber pasado.
I shudder to think of what could have happened.
El terremoto estremeció los edificios.
The earthquake shook the buildings.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'extreme shaking' - 'estremecer' sounds like 'extreme' + 'shaking'
- Remember the 'trem' part which connects to English 'tremble'
- Visualize someone shaking so hard they're 'extremely shaken' (estremecer)
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Often used in literature and poetic contexts to describe intense emotional or physical reactions. In Spanish-language horror or thriller narratives, this verb frequently appears to describe fear responses.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'estremecer' means 'to shudder/tremble', 'establecer' means 'to establish/set up'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Notes: The conjugation patterns are different: 'estremecer' follows the pattern of verbs ending in -ecer (estremezco), while 'establecer' follows the same pattern but with different meaning.
Mnemonic: 'Estremecer' has 'trem' in it, like 'tremble'; 'establecer' has 'establ' like 'establish'.
Explanation: 'Estremecer' means 'to shudder/tremble' while 'estrechar' means 'to narrow' or 'to tighten'.
Confused word:
Necesitamos estrechar la relación entre los dos países.
We need to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
Notes: Both verbs start with 'estre-' but have different meanings and conjugation patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Estrechar' contains 'estrecho' (narrow), while 'estremecer' contains sounds like 'tremble'.