cool off
Idioms-
see cool down .
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Also, . Calm down, become less ardent, angry, or agitated, as in We can't discuss it until you've cooled off . The verb cool alone has been used in this sense since approximately a.d. 1000; off and down were added in the late 1800s, and Davy Crockett's Almanac (1836) had: “Resting a while, just long enough to cool out a little.”
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Also, cool out . Kill someone, as in They threatened to cool off his brother . [ Slang ; first half of 1800s] Also see cool out , def. 2.
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.
Pam McFarlane, 78, got creative as she tried to cool off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
In June, Ferrari warned that too many people were trying to cool off in rivers and canals without necessarily taking the risks into account.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Residents can also cool off with a dip in the glittering pool, which comes complete with a large lounging area.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
In times of extreme heat, sunburns are even more dangerous because they limit the body’s ability to cool off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
While Mrs. Hall tells them both to cool off and points out to Max that it’s foolish to root for a fight, Mrs. Silver waves me toward the door.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.