out cold

Idioms  

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.

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Example Sentences

I usually walk out cold with my mannerisms, but at Money in the Bank I couldn’t hide how happy I was to see everyone in the stands.

From Los Angeles Times

Every time you open them, you’re letting out cold air and getting closer to food spoiling, said Marilyn Jiménez, a regional communications manager for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.

From Los Angeles Times

For three rounds Sunday afternoon, he slugged at Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov, a fortress of a man who had knocked Torrez out cold the last time they had fought.

From Washington Post

Jalolov knocked Torrez out cold in September 2019.

From Seattle Times

During his playing days, Woodard was hospitalised for concussion a couple of times including once when he was 16 and knocked out cold.

From BBC