- present participle of chill.
chilling
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of chilling
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.
Bass said she worried about the potential chilling effect on other police whistleblowers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
New detectives were assigned to the case after Mathipa's death, triggering a chilling message from special forces, that made its way to the police's Criminal Intelligence division.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The chilling images were viewed more than 17 million times on X. Savannah shared the images on social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
That the film also had gruesome practical effects, brilliant lead performances and an unforgettably chilling score helped, too.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
They flitted in and out of homes where the residents didn’t know how to protect themselves, spoiling milk and bread left out overnight, chilling skin and taking the warmth for their own.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
