chill

American  

[chil] / tʃɪl /

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.

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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.

idioms

1. take a chill pill, See chill pill.

chill British  

/ 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

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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

Related Words

See cold.

Other Word Forms

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

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

And a California kid on the mound, battling the inclement elements, this time beating the 35-degree chill.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

And as soon as there’s a chill in the air, ticket holders get hungry for the hill.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

On March 18, Dakar called for an international investigation into "allegations of corruption within the CAF leadership" in a statement that sent a chill through Morocco.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

But last week, the U.S. intelligence community essentially told everyone to chill.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

As suddenly as the sun disappeared behind the western dunes, the face of the mountain darkened, and a chill wind swept into the valley.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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