horripilated

hor·ri·pi·lat·ed
H4O1R1R1I1P3I1L1A1T1E1D2
UK/hɒˌɹɪpɪˈleɪtɪd/US/hɑˌɹipiˈleɪtid/US/-ɾid/

adjective

Bristling with fear or horror; with fur or hair standing on end.

Scrabble 18

Meanings

adjectivehorripilated (comparative more horripilated, superlative most horripilated)

comparative more horripilated · superlative most horripilated

  1. Bristling with fear or horror; with fur or hair standing on end.

    Fortitude of heart is the confidence and boldness of faith that is reverent but not horripilated, hopeful but not presumptuous, heroic but not ambitious.

    2011, Domenic Marbaniang, “Rediscovery of Prayer”, in Beyond the Shadows and Other Essays, [USA]: Domenic Marbaniang, →ISBN, page 139
    2 more examples

    Looking back on it, I do have fond memories of that journey—Iris in a swimsuit and horripilated flesh perched over a lake barely clear of ice, the smell of the pine woods and the intoxicating smoke of our cookfires, […]

    2004, T[homas] Coraghessan Boyle, chapter 9, in The Inner Circle, New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN

    It took Cindy ten minutes to coax the horripilated feline from beneath a car, his trust in her utterly shattered. But his attention span being only marginally longer than the life span of certain theoretical subatomic particles, he soon could not remember what he was doing underneath a Volvo in the first place, and was eager to be back in the warmth of his human's arms.

    2005, Andrew Thomas Breslin, Mother’s Milk, Hoboken, N.J.: ENC Press, →ISBN, page 82
verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of horripilate.

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

horripilated. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horripilated

MLA

“horripilated.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horripilated. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “horripilated,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/horripilated.

Source: horripilated on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.