out cold

1. Also, out for the count; out like a light. Unconscious; also, asleep. For example, He crashed into the wall and was out cold, or Willie punched him too hard, and he was out for the count or Don't call Jane; she's out like a light by ten every night. The adjective cold refers to the lack of heat in a dead body and has been used to mean “unconscious” since the second half of the 1800s. The first variant comes from boxing, where a fighter who is knocked down must get up before the referee counts to ten or be declared defeated; it dates from about 1930. The last variant alludes to turning out a light and dates from the first half of the 1900s.

Example Sentences

As they walk to the bagel shop, engaging in a thoughtful conversation, Mike punches him in the head, knocking him out cold and proceeds to steal his wallet and watch.

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In 2019, cafeteria workers at a Minnesota high school confiscated the hot meals of about 40 students with lunch balances over $15, dumping the trays and handing out cold sandwiches instead.

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He concluded that MSNBC, "may now be the last line of defense for the free press and thus the future of representative government in this country. The bullies don’t stop hitting you because you’re nice to them. They stop hitting you when you knock them out cold."

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Another unconventional character is Gudetama, or "lazy egg", who is living with depression and fires out cold one-liners that reflect dark realities of life.

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In some cases, officers recommended for firing by the chief have been allowed to keep their jobs even though they were found to have violated department policy by lying about physical altercations, including one in which an officer knocked a woman out cold.

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