Meaning

"Goose bumps" are the tiny bumps that rise on your skin when you're cold, scared, or suddenly moved. The name comes from the skin of a plucked goose, which looks exactly like that. So the phrase is half body, half feeling: it's a real thing your arms do, and a way to say something touched you deeply.

The most common patterns are "it gives me goose bumps" and "I got goose bumps". People use it about a powerful song, a beautiful speech, a creepy story, or the moment a runner crosses the finish line. It's warm, casual and safe with anyone.

In American English you'll see it written as one word, "goosebumps", or two, "goose bumps"; both are fine. British speakers sometimes say "goose pimples", and "chills" does the same job in American English: "That gave me chills."

In a conversation

AmaraWei
  1. Amara
  2. Wei
  3. Amara
  4. Wei
  5. Amara
  6. Wei

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Check yourself

1"The last scene gave me goose bumps." What does the speaker mean?
2Which is another common American way to say the same thing?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then repeat. Stress "goose", and keep "bumps" short and crisp.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.