grelotter

to shiver

verb gruh-loh-TEH Rare

Also means

to tremble with cold

Usage Note

Grelotter specifically evokes shivering from cold (or occasionally fever), with an onomatopoeic quality—grelot is a small jingle bell, and the verb echoes the chattering of teeth. It is stronger and more vivid than frissonner ('to shiver'). On grelotte is a common impersonal expression meaning 'it's freezing cold.'

Examples

"Il grelottait sur le quai en attendant le train."

Natural Translation

He was shivering on the platform waiting for the train.

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