chilly

[chil-ee]

adjective

chillier, chilliest 

1. mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold; causing shivering; chill.

   a chilly breeze.

2. feeling cold; sensitive to cold.

   Her hands were chilly.

3. without warmth of feeling; cool.

   a chilly reply.

4. producing or likely to produce a feeling of fear; frightening.

   He told a chilly story of ghosts and murder.

adverb

1. Also chillily in a mildly cold manner.

   The wind blew chilly.

chilly

/ ˈtʃɪlɪ /

adjective

1. causing or feeling cool or moderately cold

2. without warmth; unfriendly

3. (of people) sensitive to cold

Other Word Forms

• chilliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chilly¹

First recorded in 1560–70; chill + -y ¹

Synonym Study

See cold.

Example Sentences

Now, the Fall Classic may extend into chilly November, and most games end extremely late on the East Coast.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

After a chilly end to September and start to October across the UK, temperatures on Monday peaked in the low twenties in Celsius in central and south-east England and north-east Scotland, above the seasonal average.

Read more on BBC

It's dark and chilly, but I'm told the people at the front of this line have been here since 20:00 last night.

Read more on BBC

Garfield Park Conservatory – On a rainy or chilly Chicago day, there’s no better escape than Garfield Park Conservatory.

Read more on Salon

As the film explores the distinctions between behaving from instinct versus intellect — a battle between heart and mind — there is a chilly distance that Anderson never quite bridges.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breezy 
• brisk 
• cool 
• crisp 
• freezing 
• frosty 
• icy 
• wintry