shudder

I shudder to think

It is too worrying or unpleasant for me to think about something that might happen or might have happened. I shudder to think what my boss will say when I tell him I lost our biggest client. I shudder to think of shopping on Black Friday, when every store is absolutely crawling with consumers. I shudder to think of the lonely life I would have had if I'd never met my wife.

See also: shudder, think, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

I shudder/dread to ˈthink (how, what, etc....)

(informal, often humorous) I am afraid to think or ask myself about something, because the answer might be terrible or unpleasant: I shudder to think when he last had a bath. ♢ ‘How much more work is there?’ ‘I dread to think!’

See also: dread, shudder, think, to

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