Fear · Feelings and energy
make someone's blood run cold
frighten deeply
To frighten someone very badly.
This vs that
That phone call made my blood run cold.
The old song sent shivers down my spine.
Hear it in real life
Did you hear footsteps upstairs?
Yes, and it made my blood run cold.
The recording of the emergency call made my blood run cold.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
The idiom is the natural dramatic way to describe deep fright.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: The story made my blood to run cold.
Say: The story made my blood run cold.
After 'make', use the bare infinitive without 'to'.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
make someone's blood run cold; made someone's blood run cold
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about fear.
I'm scared stiff
I was scared stiff when the lights went out.
Fear words
Feelings and energy · Fear: the words around “make someone's blood run cold”.
More connectionsMore fear words8
Your turn: say it out loud
It made my blood run cold.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
make someone's blood run cold
frighten deeply
“The recording of the emergency call made my blood run cold.”
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