ひやり

ひ

や

り

Meanings

adverb taking the 'to' particle, adverb, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

chill; shiver; cold feeling

usually written using kana alone

Describes a sudden physical sensation of cold or a shiver, often used adverbially with とする.

冷つめたい風かぜが吹ふいて、ひやりとした。
A cold wind blew and I felt a sudden chill.

アイスを触さわったら手てがひやりとした。

When I touched the ice, my hand felt chilly.

adverb taking the 'to' particle, adverb, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

sudden fear; dread; cold sweat

usually written using kana alone

Describes a sudden emotional chill, such as fear, dread, or breaking out in a cold sweat, often used with とする.

急きゅうに名な前まえを呼よばれて、ひやりとした。
I felt a sudden jolt of fear when my name was called unexpectedly.
車くるまが急きゅうに飛とび出だしてきて、ひやりとした。
A car suddenly darted out and I broke out in a cold sweat.

Written forms

ひやりUsage35%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 冷やり is rare.
ヒヤリUsage65%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
冷ひやり
Kanji form is uncommon; the word is usually written in kana.

Kanji

冷cool, cold (beer, person), chill

Similar words

ぞっと
ぞっと is a stronger, more visceral shudder, often from disgust or horror, while ひやり is a milder, sudden chill or fright.
冷つめたい
冷たい is an adjective meaning 'cold to the touch' or 'cold-hearted'; ひやり describes the momentary sensation or feeling.

Etymology

Mimetic word derived from the sensation of cold (ひや). The exact origin is uncertain, but it is related to the root ひや (cold) found in words like 冷たい (つめたい) and 冷やす (ひやす).