chilling

[chil-ing]

adjective

1. causing or likely to cause a chill.

   the chilling effect of the high unemployment rate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chilling¹

chill + -ing ²

Example Sentences

“Beloved Renegade” is as elegiac a gathering as “Speaking in Tongues” is a chilling one.

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The raid created “a massive chilling effect,” he said, including among dairy farmers.

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While authorities argue that restrictions are tied to safety and facility security, civil liberties groups warn that aggressive enforcement, especially when directed at clergy, can have a chilling effect on religious and political expression.

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“People started honking their horns and asking if we were going to be working together. It was a very chilling moment in a positive sense.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“There’s something chilling about building a threat inside of the mundane.”

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Related Words

• eerie 
• horrifying 
• shocking 
• thrilling