Goosebumps
/ˈɡuːsbʌmps/
nounpluralB1
Definition
Goosebumps are tiny raised spots on your skin that happen when your body reacts to cold, fear, or strong emotions. This happens because small muscles around hair follicles tighten, making the hairs stand up slightly, which looks like the skin of a plucked goose.
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See It in Action
Small bumps on the skin caused by cold or strong feelings
- •I got goosebumps when I walked outside on the cold morning.
- •The scary movie gave me goosebumps all over my arms.
- •Listening to that song always gives me goosebumps.
A feeling of excitement or fear shown by the skin's reaction
- •She felt goosebumps when she heard the surprising news.
- •The speech was so powerful that it gave everyone goosebumps.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "goosebumps" like "cold" or "shiver," but instead of your whole body shaking, your skin shows tiny bumps.
- ✓Picture the small bumps on your arm when you feel a chill or hear a scary story.
- ✓It's the feeling you get when you watch a very moving movie or hear beautiful music that makes your skin tingle.
- ✓Sounds like "goose-bumps" → imagine the skin of a goose with little bumps, which is exactly what your skin looks like.
- ✓Remember when you felt scared or excited and noticed your skin getting bumpy? That’s goosebumps.
- ✓NOT like "shiver" (which is your whole body shaking), goosebumps are just the small bumps on your skin.
- ✓NOT like "rash" (which is caused by illness or allergy), goosebumps are a natural, temporary reaction.
Try Other Words
- •Shivers: feeling cold or scared with slight body shaking (Use when the body moves, not just skin reaction)
- •Tingles: a slight prickly feeling on the skin (Use when the feeling is more about sensation than visible bumps)
- •Hair standing on end: when hairs on your skin rise (Use to describe the cause of goosebumps)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "goose" + "bumps" → bumps on skin like the skin of a goose
- •Etymology: English phrase describing the skin's appearance similar to a plucked goose’s skin
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to describe the skin reaction to cold or strong emotions
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe physical reaction to cold, fear, excitement, or strong feelings
Reflect & Connect
•Have you ever felt goosebumps from something happy or exciting instead of cold or fear? What was it?
•Why do you think the body makes goosebumps when we feel strong emotions?
Fill in the blanks
1.When I heard the loud thunder, I got goosebumps because I felt ___.
2.Goosebumps often appear when your body is ___ or scared.
3.Unlike shivering, goosebumps are small bumps on the ___, not full body movement.
4.The singer’s voice was so beautiful it gave me goosebumps all ___.
5.After the surprise, she had goosebumps and couldn’t ___ her excitement.
6.People say "hair standing on end" when they mean ___.
7.You might get goosebumps when watching a movie that is ___ or very emotional.