chilly
Americanadjective
-
mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold; causing shivering; chill.
a chilly breeze.
-
feeling cold; sensitive to cold.
Her hands were chilly.
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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
adjective
-
causing or feeling cool or moderately cold
-
without warmth; unfriendly
-
(of people) sensitive to cold
Synonym Usage
See cold.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chilly
Explanation
Did someone leave a window open? It's chilly in here! That word means "cold," and it can also mean that someone's acting in a frosty way. The main meaning of chilly is cold, but this word is often used for emotions too, just like "warm." A warm person is loving and kind, but a chilly person is unemotional, distant, and quiet. Chilly people are often called "aloof" — another word for someone who's not acting like a people person. "After you turned them in for cheating on their homework, they gave you a chilly reception."
Vocabulary lists containing chilly
Wintry Words
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Chill Out! Synonyms for "Cold"
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Sula
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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.
I wasn’t alone and joined hundreds of others, spending a damp, chilly night trying to keep warm and sleep near one of the bonfires in St. James’s Park.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
“You would never think that America’s sweetheart would be so brilliant as this extremely chilly, withholding suburban housewife,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Complete Autowash on a chilly Tuesday morning in January 2025, eight days after President Trump’s second inauguration.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The easterly breeze will strengthen further on Wednesday, making it feel rather chilly along some North Sea coasts.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
A chilly breeze rustled through the woods and a gust of white dogwood petals blew into the clearing.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
