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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

out cold

One minute you’re talking, the next you’re out cold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

The new study shows that dark matter does not necessarily need to start out cold.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 15, 2026

Poirier was out cold as referee Herb Dean jumped in to prevent any further damage and Gaethje was soon back-flipping off the top of the octagon.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2023

Top players getting blasted out of playoff series is nothing new, predating even the late Pat Quinn knocking Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr out cold 54 years ago with a borderline bodycheck to the chin.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

When he was still out cold half an hour before the race, the stewards debated whether or not to call Howard in and get him to choose another rider.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand