chill

[chil]

noun

1. coldness, especially a moderate but uncomfortably penetrating coldness.

   the chill of evening.

2. a sensation of cold, usually with shivering.

   She felt a slight chill from the open window.

3. a feeling of sudden fear, anxiety, or alarm.

4. sudden coldness of the body, as during the cold stage of an ague.

   fevers and chills.

5. a depressing influence or sensation.

   His presence cast a chill over everyone.

6. lack of warmth of feeling; unfriendliness; coolness.

7. 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.

8. bloom.

adjective

1. moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly.

   a chill wind.

2. shivering with or affected by cold; chilly.

3. depressing or discouraging.

   chill prospects.

4. Slang.,  cool.

5. unduly formal; unfriendly; chilly.

   a chill reception.

   Synonyms: stiff, hostile, aloof, cold

verb (used without object)

1. to become cold.

   The earth chills when the sun sets.

2. to be seized with a chill; shiver with cold or fear.

3. Foundry.,  (of a casting) to become hard on the surface by contact with a chill or chills.

4. Slang.,  to calm down; relax (often followed byout ).

verb (used with object)

1. to affect with cold; make chilly.

   The rain has chilled me to the bone.

2. to make cool.

   Chill the wine before serving.

3. to depress; discourage; deter.

   The news chilled his hopes.

4. Foundry.,  to harden the surface of (a casting) by casting it in a mold having a chill or chills.

5. bloom.

6. Slang.,  to kill; murder.

chill

/ tʃɪl /

noun

1. a moderate coldness

2. a sensation of coldness resulting from a cold or damp environment, or from a sudden emotional reaction

3. a feverish cold

4. a check on enthusiasm or joy

5. a metal plate placed in a sand mould to accelerate cooling and control local grain growth

6. another name for bloom 1

adjective

1. another word for chilly

verb

1. to make or become cold

2. (tr) to cool or freeze (food, drinks, etc)

3. (tr)

   1. to depress (enthusiasm, etc)

   2. to discourage

4. (tr) to cool (a casting or metal object) rapidly in order to prevent the formation of large grains in the metal

5. slang,  (intr) to relax; calm oneself

Other Word Forms

• chillingly adverb
• chillness noun
• overchill verb
• prechill verb (used with object)
• unchilled adjective
• well-chilled adjective
• chilling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chill¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English chile, Old English cele, ci(e)le “coolness”; cool, cold; akin to Latin gelāre “to freeze,” gelum “frost, cold,” glaciēs “ice” ( gelato, gelid, glacier )

Word History and Origins

Origin of chill¹

Old English ciele; related to calan to _cool , Latin gelidus icy

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take a chill pill, See chill pill.

Synonym Study

See cold.

Example Sentences

These new forms of entertainment are becoming the lake to our Narcissus: You can gaze into your phone and see yourself staring back, having all kinds of thrills, spills and chills.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Luke: Tuchel needs to chill out about the atmosphere, it's only a friendly where the game was won at half-time.

Read more on BBC

I always liked to party a little bit, but I was always chill with it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I’d suggest a light puffy jacket if there’s no rain in the forecast, and pants and thermal leggings to keep the chill off.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They continue to worry that the new law will chill discussion of controversial issues in ethnic studies and elsewhere — and also falsely equate legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• biting 
• chilly 
• freezing 
• frigid 
• frosty 
• icy 
• wintry