chill
Americannoun
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coldness, especially a moderate but uncomfortably penetrating coldness.
the chill of evening.
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a sensation of cold, usually with shivering.
She felt a slight chill from the open window.
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a feeling of sudden fear, anxiety, or alarm.
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sudden coldness of the body, as during the cold stage of an ague.
fevers and chills.
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a depressing influence or sensation.
His presence cast a chill over everyone.
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lack of warmth of feeling; unfriendliness; coolness.
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Foundry. an inserted object or a surface in a mold capable of absorbing large amounts of heat, used to harden the surface of a casting or to increase its rate of solidification at a specific point.
adjective
verb (used without object)
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to become cold.
The earth chills when the sun sets.
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to be seized with a chill; shiver with cold or fear.
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Foundry. (of a casting) to become hard on the surface by contact with a chill or chills.
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Slang. to calm down; relax (often followed byout ).
verb (used with object)
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to affect with cold; make chilly.
The rain has chilled me to the bone.
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to make cool.
Chill the wine before serving.
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to depress; discourage; deter.
The news chilled his hopes.
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Foundry. to harden the surface of (a casting) by casting it in a mold having a chill or chills.
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Slang. to kill; murder.
idioms
noun
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a moderate coldness
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a sensation of coldness resulting from a cold or damp environment, or from a sudden emotional reaction
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a feverish cold
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a check on enthusiasm or joy
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a metal plate placed in a sand mould to accelerate cooling and control local grain growth
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another name for bloom 1
adjective
verb
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to make or become cold
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(tr) to cool or freeze (food, drinks, etc)
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(tr)
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to depress (enthusiasm, etc)
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to discourage
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(tr) to cool (a casting or metal object) rapidly in order to prevent the formation of large grains in the metal
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slang (intr) to relax; calm oneself
Synonym Usage
See cold.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chill
First recorded before 900; Middle English chile, Old English cele, ci(e)le “coolness”; cf. cool, cold; akin to Latin gelāre “to freeze,” gelum “frost, cold,” glaciēs “ice” ( see gelato, gelid, glacier)
Explanation
A sharp burst of cold air or icy temperatures is a chill. The chill of a January day in New England might make you dream of moving to New Mexico. You'll feel a chill when someone opens a window in the winter, or notice a chill in the air on a cool day in September. Another kind of chill makes you shiver, but it's caused by illness and fever rather than a cold breeze: "Symptoms of the flu include chills and headache." A cold attitude is also a chill, as when a chill in the room makes you realize your friends are angry at each other.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the 1960s, these same tactics were reused by Southern states to chill the Civil Rights Movement.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
Everybody seems pretty chill, nobody’s on edge or trying to cause me trouble or anything.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
One limiting factor will be the availability of export infrastructure, such as the multibillion-dollar terminals that chill natural gas to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit to make it a liquid suitable for ocean transport.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
In the meantime, the chill on the bench is real, as is the fear.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
A chill of silence fell over the table and spread swiftly around the room.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
