chill

[ chil ]

/ tʃɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR chill ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

coldness, especially a moderate but uncomfortably penetrating coldness: the chill of evening.

a sensation of cold, usually with shivering: She felt a slight chill from the open window.

a feeling of sudden fear, anxiety, or alarm.

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.

lack of warmth of feeling; unfriendliness; coolness.

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.

bloom¹ (def. 12).

adjective

moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly: a chill wind.

shivering with or affected by cold; chilly.

depressing or discouraging: chill prospects.

Slang. cool (def. 14).

unduly formal; unfriendly; chilly: a chill reception.

verb (used without object)

to become cold: The earth chills when the sun sets.

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

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

Slang. to calm down; relax (often followed by out).

verb (used with object)

to affect with cold; make chilly: The rain has chilled me to the bone.

to make cool: Chill the wine before serving.

to depress; discourage; deter: The news chilled his hopes.

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

bloom¹ (def. 22).

Slang. to kill; murder.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “vacillate” mean?

to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.

to cause to be empty or unoccupied.

to assent tacitly; agree; consent.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for chill

take a chill pill, Slang. See chill pill (def. 2).

Origin of chill

before 900; Middle English chile,Old English ci(e)le, cele coolness; akin to gelid, cool, cold

SYNONYMS FOR chill

13 cold, aloof, hostile, stiff.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR chill ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for chill

9. See cold.

OTHER WORDS FROM chill

chill·ing·ly, adverbchillness, nouno·ver·chill, adjectiveo·ver·chill, verb

pre·chill, verb (used with object)un·chilled, adjectivewell-chilled, adjective

Words nearby chill

chili powder, chili sauce, chilitis, Chilkat, Chilkoot Pass, chill, Chillán, chillax, chill bumps, chilled, chilled to the bone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for chill

If you prefer them chewy in the middle and crisp outside, chill the balls of dough.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies|Ina Garten|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Standing in the chill breeze of autumn, I knew something had passed between us.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What he—and his friend holding the camera—heard in response was enough to chill them to the bone.
Dumpster Politicians, Jeter Tributes, and More Viral Videos|Jack Holmes|September 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet, relative to the massive amount of attention, shock, and criticism, I can only muster a shrug and a plea to chill out.
The Internet’s Latest Pearl-Clutching Panic Over Mamading Is Insane|Emily Shire|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A chill coursed through me, but I resisted the urge to turn back.
When An Adopted Child Won’t Attach|Tina Traster|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But she gave in, notwithstanding her leadership, before the chill of Merles little reserves.
Twos and Threes|G. B. Stern
The mural decorations at the Prince Eitel are so gloomy they give you a chill.
The Women of Tomorrow|William Hard
From Bossuet to Pascal is to pass from the solemn splendour of the church to the chill of the crypt.
Critical Miscellanies (Vol 2 of 3)|John Morley
Roll puff paste ¼ of an inch thick, cut in diamond shaped pieces, chill thoroughly, and bake about 15 minutes.
365 Luncheon Dishes|Anonymous
Hurrying through the chill dawn, I reached the square not much behind the rapid footsteps of the watch who had wakened me.
To Have and To Hold|Mary Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for chill

chill

/ (tʃɪl) /