bone-chilling

adjective

bone-chill·​ing ˈbōn-ˌchi-liŋ How to pronounce bone-chilling (audio)
: intensely cold
bone-chilling weather
also : penetrating, disturbing, or intense in emotional or physical effect
bone-chilling drama
a bone-chilling wind

Examples of bone-chilling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are still moments that make your hair stand on end, like that bone-chilling conclusion, but the film never loses its charm. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 The director’s control of tonal and visual storytelling, his meticulous attention to detail and his bone-chilling use of sound make this a uniquely disturbing experience. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Detectives Rea Thomas and Vikram Singh are thrust into a dark world where these bone-chilling murders are not just random acts of violence but also part of a sinister plan orchestrated by a century-old secret society. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The 10 days of bone-chilling cold in early January were the only ones that truly felt like winter this season, according to Boulay. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 For many in the U.S., it’s been a bone-chilling winter. Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2024 Two hours later, King received the bone-chilling text. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 10 Feb. 2024 The survey window was interrupted by bone-chilling cold and snowstorms, possibly shortening the workweek and raising hourly wages. Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 The weekend is back to bone-chilling readings before our big January thaw sets in next week. David Streit, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bone-chilling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bone-chilling was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near bone-chilling

Cite this Entry

“Bone-chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone-chilling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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