chilly

[chil-ee]

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.

Origin of chilly

First recorded in 1560–70; chill + -y¹

Related formschill·i·ness, noun

Can be confusedChile chili chilly

Synonym study

1. See cold.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for chilly

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples

The short spring day was over, and the chilly night was setting in.
Tip Lewis and His Lamp
Pansy
The rehearsals were so bad that Duquesnel and Chilly were in despair.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Chilly kept his word, and brought an action against me and the Comdie.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
But I fear it may be chilly outside; and besides, where could I go in the middle of the night?
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
It was a chilly night, and the fire in the widow's parlour had burnt low.
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for chilly

chilly

adjective -lier or -liest

causing or feeling cool or moderately cold
without warmth; unfriendly
(of people) sensitive to cold

Derived Formschilliness, 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

Word Origin and History for chilly

adj.

1560s, "causing a sensation of cold," from chill (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "feeling coldish" is attested from 1610s; figurative use is recorded by 1841. Related: Chilliness.

chilly

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}chilly

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for chilly

Contemporary Examples

I gingerly walked down the center staircase and out into what was a chilly, sunny October morning.

By Alex Orlov for Life by DailyBurn Do dark, chilly days make your mood cloud over this time each year?

She speaks with chilly precision, “in the tone that a bored but tolerant adult might use.”

In the past, her character has tended toward the two-dimensional: the chilly villainess.

We were herded into a chilly waiting room waiting for the Britannia to be refueled.

Historical Examples

The short spring day was over, and the chilly night was setting in.

The rehearsals were so bad that Duquesnel and Chilly were in despair.

Chilly kept his word, and brought an action against me and the Comdie.

But I fear it may be chilly outside; and besides, where could I go in the middle of the night?

It was a chilly night, and the fire in the widow's parlour had burnt low.

chilly

Word Origin and History for chilly

adj.

Origin of chilly