chill
Americannoun
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chills
plural
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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.
-
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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chills,
present (3rd person singular)
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chilled,
past participle, past
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chilling
present participle
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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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chills,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chilled,
past participle, past
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chilling
present participle
-
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
Derived Forms
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chillnessnoun
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overchillverb
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prechillverb (used with object)
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chillingadjective
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overchilladjective
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unchilledadjective
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well-chilledadjective
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chillinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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chillsimple
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chillssimple
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have chilledperfect
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has chilledperfect
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am chillingprogressive
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are chillingprogressive
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is chillingprogressive
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have been chillingperfect progressive
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has been chillingperfect progressive
Past
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chilledsimple
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had chilledperfect
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was chillingprogressive
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were chillingprogressive
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had been chillingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
“Most people who know me personally know I’m more to myself. Goofy! But usually chill and to myself.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Then choose from these options: original, brief, sweet, chill and sassy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Hochman told me that he wants to make it “crystal clear” that “nothing in this prosecution should be read that we are in any way trying to chill whistleblowers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Back in the old days, they didn't used to helicopter off the minute they'd done the encore, they would come up and chill at the house until the roads cleared."
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
They talked in huddles, stamping their feet, their breath steaming in the chill evening air.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
“When we saw coach Harbaugh come in and have that next-level intensity, you kind of get chills running down your spine,” defensive back Phil Bretsch said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Respiratory diphtheria often starts with fever or chills, a sore throat that can lead to breathing and swallowing difficulties, and be life-threatening.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Other users reported temperature-related symptoms such as chills, feeling cold, hot flashes, and fever-like sensations.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026
“The standard Ross held for us during pre-production was extreme to a point where if we didn’t give him chills, we couldn’t go into the studio to actually record,” Gatto says.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The creeptastic night before still lingered in her mind, but the music kept the chills at bay.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Asked what the difference was between the captaincy of Stokes and Root, fast bowler Josh Tongue said: "It's very chilled out there."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The phonebooth-sized machine, where jets of chilled air ensure ice-cold comfort, only launched this year but has proved popular in a country that seems to be getting inexorably warmer.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Just the sight of the glasses, dewy with condensation on the outside and filled to the rim with clinking ice, nearly chilled my body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Those distinct layers of chilled dough and butter are what create puff pastry’s dramatic height, so if the sheet begins to feel limp or greasy, return it to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
And then, when she was chilled to the bone and about to give up, she heard him coming.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Shi argues that non-compete agreements harm the economy: “They have a chilling effect and discourage people from looking for new jobs,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
“In terms of technology and control by the government we are seeing today what Bradbury was thinking about in 1953. We felt that the future was found in the past. It was a chilling read.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"It's chilling to think that having any PCBs in your blood is normal, when 90 years ago no-one would have had them as they didn't exist," said Sheen.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
What’s chilling about “Disruption,” an absorbing ensemble drama by Andrew Stein about the brave new world of technology, is that its dark vision of machines wresting control of human destinies doesn’t feel fantastical or futuristic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Instead, he lowered his head and fixed me with his chilling gaze.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
