chill

[ chil ]

/ tʃɪl /

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See synonyms for: chill / chilled / chiller / chillest 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR chill

13 cold, aloof, hostile, stiff.

See synonyms for chill on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about 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

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chill in a sentence

"Thank you," she said, in her chillest and primmest fashion, as she withdrew from Ruth's embrace.
Aunt Rachel|David Christie Murray
There is a stone which is of all the hardest and the chillest, but when once set on fire it is unquenchable.
The Disowned, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
She was amicable, conversable, all that was agreeable as a woman, and she was the chillest of wives.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith
Even on the summit of the Blocksberg, the chillest, barest spot on earth, you would impart some warmth.
The Dangerous Age|Karin Michalis

At that chillest, most awful moment of all the circle of time, Mrs. Forrester had sunk into half-unconsciousness.
The Wizard's Son, vol. 3|Margaret Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for chill

chill

/ (tʃɪl) /

noun

a moderate coldness

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

a feverish cold

a check on enthusiasm or joy

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

another name for bloom 1 (def. 9)

adjective

another word for chilly

verb

to make or become cold

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

(tr)

to depress (enthusiasm, etc)
to discourage

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

(intr) slang, mainly US to relax; calm oneself

Derived forms of chill

chilling, adjectivechillingly, adverbchillness, noun

Word Origin for chill

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

chill

OTHER WORDS FOR chill

Idioms about chill

Origin of chill

synonym study for chill

OTHER WORDS FROM chill

Words related to chill

How to use chill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chill

Derived forms of chill

Word Origin for chill