chilling effect
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of chilling effect
First recorded in 1965–70
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.
The section’s vague language and many loopholes could have a chilling effect on any research that studies the effects of a disease, policy or public health intervention on any specific group of people, Rafla-Yuan said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
This had a chilling effect on tech-loving individual investors.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
But it’s also likely to have a chilling effect on one of its hyperscaler peers, according to Jason Helfstein, head of internet research at Oppenheimer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
The change raised immediate legal concerns and, advocates say, contributed to a chilling effect, with some eligible households opting not to participate.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
But never had a pariah had such a chilling effect on bringers of death.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
