spine-chiller
Tale inspiring dread
A spine-chiller is something that causes a shiver of fear or suspense—typically a horror story, thriller film, or similarly frightening entertainment: The novel is a classic spine-chiller set in a haunted manor.
The term emphasizes pleasurable fright rather than genuine terror.
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- frightSudden intense fear
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- goosebumpsRaised skin from cold
shudder · scream · gasp · heart-pounding · white-knuckle · petrified · horrified · startled
Disturbingly strange
- uncannyEerily beyond normal
- hauntedOccupied by ghosts
- creepyDisturbingly strange
- otherworldlySeemingly not earthly
sinister · spooky · ominous · mysterious · shadowy · foreboding · unsettling · dark
Disturbing, death-obsessed
- goreGraphic bloody violence
- gruesomeCausing horror and disgust
- bloodcurdlingExtremely frightening or horrifying
- monstrousFrighteningly huge or wicked
ghoulish · vampire · zombie · werewolf · slasher · scream · terrorize · nightmare
Resembling a specter
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- phantasmalLike an apparition
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
ethereal · poltergeist · possession · demonic · exorcism · curse · witchcraft · necromancy
Stretched or strained state
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
- anticipationState of awaiting something
uncertainty · edge-of-seat · gripping · nail-biting · twist · revelation · foreshadowing · buildup
terror
Extreme, overwhelming fear
goosebumps · shudder · scream · gasp · heart-pounding · white-knuckle · petrified · horrified · startled · jump-scare
eerie
Disturbingly strange
otherworldly · sinister · spooky · ominous · mysterious · shadowy · foreboding · unsettling · dark · gloomy
macabre
Disturbing, death-obsessed
- goreGraphic bloody violence
- gruesomeCausing horror and disgust
- bloodcurdlingExtremely frightening or horrifying
monstrous · ghoulish · vampire · zombie · werewolf · slasher · scream · terrorize · nightmare · undead
ghostly
Resembling a specter
- spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
- phantasmalLike an apparition
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
phantom · ethereal · poltergeist · possession · demonic · exorcism · curse · witchcraft · necromancy · séance
tension
Stretched or strained state
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- intrigueSecret plotting or fascination
anticipation · uncertainty · edge-of-seat · gripping · nail-biting · twist · revelation · foreshadowing · buildup · unraveling
- scary storiesghost story, horror story, scary story, campfire story, haunted tale
spine-chillercomedy
Work meant to amuse
heartwarmer · laugh riot · rom-com · slapstick · tearjerker
spine-chillerfairy tale
Magical children's narrative
bedtime story · cozy mystery · light entertainment · slice of life · romantic comedy
chill, spine, chilly, chilled, chills, chilling, spineless, chilliness, spine-chilling