chilly

[ chil-ee ]

/ ˈtʃɪl i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chilly ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, chill·i·er, chill·i·est.

mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold; causing shivering; chill: a chilly breeze.

feeling cold; sensitive to cold: Her hands were chilly.

without warmth of feeling; cool: a chilly reply.

producing or likely to produce a feeling of fear; frightening: He told a chilly story of ghosts and murder.

adverb

Also chill·i·ly. in a chill manner: The wind blew chilly.

Nearby words

chilling, chilling effect, chilliwack, chillon, chillum, chilly, chilly bin, chillán, chilo-, chiloe island, chilognath

Origin of chilly

First recorded in 1560–70; chill + -y¹

Related forms

chill·i·ness, noun

Can be confused

Chile chili chilly

Synonym study

1. See cold.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for chilly

I gingerly walked down the center staircase and out into what was a chilly, sunny October morning.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By Alex Orlov for Life by DailyBurn Do dark, chilly days make your mood cloud over this time each year?
9 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder|DailyBurn|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She speaks with chilly precision, “in the tone that a bored but tolerant adult might use.”
American Dreams: A Best-Selling Pint-Sized Psychopath|Nathaniel Rich|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the past, her character has tended toward the two-dimensional: the chilly villainess.
Game of Thrones’ Ep. 5 'First of His Name' Recap: An Ode to the Women of Westeros|Andrew Romano|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We were herded into a chilly waiting room waiting for the Britannia to be refueled.
The New Fear of Flying After MH370|Clive Irving|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But December rain has a strange, horrid quality of chilly persistence.
Buried Alive: A Tale of These Days|Arnold Bennett
After a chilly silence, "Don't all speak at once," jeered Mops.
Scarlett of the Mounted|Marguerite Merington
Laughingly my companion pulled me from under the chilly and unwelcome covering.
A Lover in Homespun|F. Clifford Smith
But you do know something about Gerald, so don't be so chilly and cautious.
The Longest Journey|E. M. Forster
Three Tlascalans only were crouched over a little fire, their zerapes or blankets about their heads, for the dawn was chilly.
Montezuma's Daughter|H. Rider Haggard

British Dictionary definitions for chilly

chilly

/ (ˈtʃɪlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

causing or feeling cool or moderately cold

without warmth; unfriendly

(of people) sensitive to cold

Derived Forms

chilliness, noun

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

chilly

adjective, chill·i·er, chill·i·est.

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of chilly

Related forms

Can be confused

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for chilly

British Dictionary definitions for chilly

chilly

adjective -lier or -liest

Derived Forms