cool

[ kool ]

/ kul /

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See synonyms for: cool / cooler / coolest / cooling on Thesaurus.com

adjective, cool·er, cool·est.

moderately cold; neither warm nor cold: a rather cool evening.

feeling comfortably or moderately cold: I'm perfectly cool, but open the window if you feel hot.

imparting a sensation of moderate coldness or comfortable freedom from heat: a cool breeze.

permitting such a sensation: a cool dress.

not excited; calm; composed; under control: to remain cool in the face of disaster.

not hasty; deliberate: a cool and calculated action.

lacking in interest or enthusiasm: a cool reply to an invitation.

lacking in warmth or cordiality: a cool reception.

calmly audacious or impudent: a cool lie.

aloof or unresponsive; indifferent: He was cool to her passionate advances.

unaffected by emotions; disinterested; dispassionate: She made a cool appraisal of all the issues in the dispute.

Informal. (of a number or sum) without exaggeration or qualification: a cool million dollars.

(of colors) with green, blue, or violet predominating.

Slang.

great; fine; excellent: a real cool comic.
characterized by great facility; highly skilled or clever: cool maneuvers on the parallel bars.
socially adept: It's not cool to arrive at a party too early.
acceptable; satisfactory; okay: If you want to stay late, that's cool.

adverb

Informal. coolly.

interjection

Slang.

(used to express acceptance): Okay, cool! I'll be there at 10:00.
(used to express approval, admiration, etc.): He got the job? Cool!

noun

something that is cool; a cool part, place, time, etc.: in the cool of the evening.

coolness.

calmness; composure; poise: an executive noted for maintaining her cool under pressure.

verb (used without object)

to become cool (sometimes followed by down or off): The soup cooled in five minutes. We cooled off in the mountain stream.

to become less ardent, cordial, etc.; become moderate.

verb (used with object)

to make cool; impart a sensation of coolness to.

to lessen the ardor or intensity of; allay; calm; moderate: Disappointment cooled his early zealousness.

Verb Phrases

cool down. See entry at cooldown.

cool off, Informal. to become calmer or more reasonable: Wait until he cools off before you talk to him again.

cool out, Slang. to calm or settle down; relax: cooling out at the beach.

OTHER WORDS FOR cool

5 collected, self-possessed, unruffled, placid, quiet.

7, 8 distant, apathetic, reserved, remote, lukewarm.

23 temper, abate.

See synonyms for cool on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR cool

1, 3, 4, 7, 8 warm.

See antonyms for cool on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about cool

blow one's cool. blow² (def. 48).

cool it, Slang. calm down; take it easy.

cool one's heels. heel¹ (def. 26).

Origin of cool

First recorded before 1000; Middle English col, coul, Old English cōl; cognate with Middle Low German kōl, Old High German kuoli, German kühl; see cold, chill

synonym study for cool

1. See cold. 5. See calm.

OTHER WORDS FROM cool

cool·ing·ly, adverbcool·ish, adjectivecool·ly, adverbcool·ness, noun

o·ver·cool, adjectiveo·ver·cool·ly, adverbo·ver·cool·ness, nounre·cool, verbsub·cool, verb (used with object)ul·tra·cool, adjectiveun·cooled, adjectivewell-cooled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cool in a sentence

I thought they were the coolest thing you could ever be: a rule-breaker.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Naomi Foner on What It Means to Be ‘Very Good Girls’|Jamie Lee Curtis|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Run Lola Run was the coolest movie ever when I was a teenager, so I was so thrilled.
Diane Kruger on ‘The Bridge,’ the Immigration Problem, and Rooting For Germany in the World Cup|Marlow Stern|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the coolest things about the class was that we were discussing the Gothic novel in real Gothic buildings.
Book Bag: The Best Imaginary Castles|Johanna Lane|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They believed her, and thought she was the coolest mom ever.
The Drunken Downfall of Evangelical America's Favorite Painter|Zac Bissonnette|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Check out the coolest new ideas brewing at creative crowd funding platform Kickstarter this month.
Fish on Wheels, Digital Pet Babysitters, and More of the Summer’s Best Kickstarters|Charlotte Lytton|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sponged frequently with coolest water can get, seems to give some relief as he is quieter afterwards.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
The months which immediately followed the arrival of the new comers were the coolest and most salubrious of the year.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Think of owning even a half acre of pine woods, stillest and coolest of spots!
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
At my summer home, the very coolest and pleasantest spot to be found on a hot day is a grassy knoll, shaded by a great tree.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various
Here's my daughter run away to be married with the coolest, freshest, limber-tongued young codfish that ever escaped salting.
The Belted Seas|Arthur Colton

British Dictionary definitions for cool

cool

/ (kuːl) /

adjective

moderately colda cool day

comfortably free of heata cool room

producing a pleasant feeling of coldnessa cool shirt

able to conceal emotion; calma cool head

lacking in enthusiasm, affection, cordiality, etca cool welcome

calmly audacious or impudent

informal (esp of numbers, sums of money, etc) without exaggeration; actuala cool ten thousand

(of a colour) having violet, blue, or green predominating; cold

(of jazz) characteristic of the late 1940s and early 1950s, economical and rhythmically relaxed

informal sophisticated or elegant, esp in an unruffled way

informal excellent; marvellous

adverb

not standard in a cool manner; coolly

noun

coolnessthe cool of the evening

slang calmness; composure (esp in the phrases keep or lose one's cool)

slang unruffled elegance or sophistication

verb

(usually foll by down or off) to make or become cooler

(usually foll by down or off) to lessen the intensity of (anger or excitement) or (of anger or excitement) to become less intense; calm down

cool it (usually imperative) slang to calm down; take it easy

cool one's heels to wait or be kept waiting

Derived forms of cool

coolingly, adverbcoolingness, nouncoolish, adjectivecoolly, adverb

coolness, noun

Word Origin for cool

Old English cōl; related to Old Norse kōlna, Old High German kuoli; see cold, chill

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cool

cool

In addition to the idioms beginning with cool

cool as a cucumber
cool down
cool it
cool off
cool one's heels
cool out

also see:

keep cool
keep one's cool
play it cool

cool

OTHER WORDS FOR cool

OPPOSITES FOR cool

Idioms about cool

Origin of cool

synonym study for cool

OTHER WORDS FROM cool

Words related to cool

How to use cool in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cool

Derived forms of cool

Word Origin for cool

Other Idioms and Phrases with cool