cold

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans
it is cold outside today
a cold drafty attic
b
: having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected
the bath water has gotten cold
c
: not heated: such as
(1)
of food : served without heating especially after initial cooking or processing
cold cereal
cold roast beef
(2)
: served chilled or with ice
a cold drink
(3)
: involving processing without the use of heat
cold working of steel
2
a
: marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion
a cold stare
got a cold reception
also : not moved to enthusiasm
the movie leaves me cold
b
: not colored or affected by personal feeling or bias : detached, indifferent
cold chronicles recorded by an outsiderAndrew Sarris
also : impersonal, objective
cold facts
cold reality
c
: marked by sure familiarity : pat
had her lines cold weeks before opening night
3
: conveying the impression of being cold: such as
a
: depressing, gloomy
cold gray skies
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
especially : dead
… she lay cold and still—she was gone … Upton Sinclair
b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
5
a
: having lost freshness or vividness : stale
dogs trying to pick up a cold scent
b
: far off the mark : not close to finding or solving
used especially in children's games
c
: marked by poor or unlucky performance
the team's shooting turned cold in the second half
d
: not prepared or suitably warmed up
The player's sub entered the game cold.
coldish adjective
coldly adverb
coldness noun

cold

2 of 3

noun

1
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat
they died of the cold
2
: a condition of low temperature
extremes of heat and cold
especially : cold weather
He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.
3
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling
specifically : common cold
She came down with a cold.

cold

3 of 3

adverb

1
: with utter finality : absolutely, completely
turned down cold
also : abruptly
stopped them cold
2
a
: without introduction or advance notice
walked in cold to apply for a job
b
: without preparation or warm-up
was asked to perform the solo cold
Phrases
in cold blood
: with premeditation : deliberately
was killed in cold blood
out in the cold
: deprived of benefits given others
the plan benefits management but leaves labor out in the cold

Examples of cold in a Sentence

Adjective The water was too cold for swimming. The weather has been unusually cold this spring. a country with a cold climate It was a long, cold winter. It's cold outside, but the wind makes it feel even colder. It's bitterly cold out there! metal that is cold to the touch Are you cold? I could turn up the temperature if you'd like. a bowl of cold cereal He ate cold pizza for breakfast. Noun I mind cold more than heat. They died of exposure to cold. The cold really sets in around late November and doesn't let up until April. I stood there shivering in the cold. He waited outside for her in the bitter cold. Come in out of the cold. It's not the flu, it's just a cold. Adverb She was asked to perform the song cold.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The following February, an autopsy showed that Kristin’s brother had died from hypothermia after being exposed to cold temperatures, which the sheriff had previously speculated. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 But life in Michigan is built around traditional, cold, snowy winters. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 El Nino makes for wetter, colder seasons while El Nina creates dryer and hotter conditions. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 From setting up your campground to staking your claim at the beach, this portable cooler will keep your drinks and snacks cold and fresh throughout it all. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Some can even be paired with their fancier outfits for more formal events during cold weather. Casey Clark, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Wind chills may feel several degrees colder than the mid-40s showing on the thermometer. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Find warming center hours and locations as cold temps remain in Central Indiana Snow day? Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 Nobody's cold, nobody's cold, everything's fine, everything's fine. Naledi Ushe, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
As the West deals with cold and snow to kick off March, areas to the east will be picking up right where February left off — with record warmth. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 This includes ordinary colds and flu, and more serious but mostly recoverable illnesses like pneumonia or appendicitis. Andrew Pulrang, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Milwaukee Public Schools cancelled classes Tuesday because of the extreme cold. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 It’s served cold, which is good because it’s been sitting out on the tables for a while now and very few people have taken their seats yet. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Cloudy and very cold; bitter cold. 🎼 Before Netflix’s ‘Maestro,’ Leonard Bernstein was ‘triple-threat’ conductor at Music Hall. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The state had its warmest-ever December and a toasty January despite some brief, brutal cold. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 After Presidents’ Day weekend, the chances of a major snowstorm in Washington start to decline because of the strengthening sun and diminishing wintertime cold. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Get The Recipe 30 of 47 Tangy Chickpea Pasta Salad Enjoy this tangy salad cold on a steaming summer day. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024
Adverb
The two teams were tied at 17-17 after a first quarter that saw the Buckeyes go cold late, shooting two for 11 to close the period. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023 If the suspect is an undocumented immigrant, the trail can go cold quickly. Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023 Garden mums, on the other hand, can survive cold better. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023 Initial leads running cold over the weekend with over 200 officers working the case. Adrienne Vogt, CNN, 3 May 2023 First detected in the stream after the stream mouth emerged from glacial ice were larvae of chironomids, cold-loving midges. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023 The green mandarin that features in Armani Code Eau de Toilette was cold-extracted from fruits handpicked in Calabria, Italy—a sourcing method that helps support local farmers and invests in responsible agricultural practices. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2023 Clothing choice in what appears to be below-zero weather is the low point here: they are all clad in metal armor, which is likely heavy, restrictive, and cold-conducting. Benjamin Tepler, Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022 The compilation was spurred by longtime Alaska journalist and writer Lael Morgan, who cold-called James and pitched him on the idea of a book focusing on Alaska literature. Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Mar. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, going back to Old English cald (Anglian), ceald (West Saxon), going back to Germanic *kalða- (whence Old Saxon cald "cold," Middle Dutch cout, Old High German kalt, Old Norse kaldr, Gothic kalds), verbal adjective from *kalan- "to be cold" (whence Old English calan "to be cold, to make cold," Old Norse kala "to freeze") going back to a dialectal Indo-European base *ǵel-, *ǵol-, whence also Latin gelū, gelus "frost, cold," gelāre "to freeze, chill"

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English ceald, cald, noun derivative of ceald, cald cold entry 1 (or derivative from the Germanic base of these adjectives)

Adverb

derivative of cold entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cold

Cite this Entry

“Cold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cold

1 of 2 adjective
1
: having a low temperature or one much below normal
a cold day
a cold drink
2
: lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly
a cold stare
3
: suffering or uncomfortable from lack of warmth
they feel cold
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
coldly adverb
coldness noun

cold

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a condition of low temperature
b
: cold weather
2
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat : chill
3
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling
especially : common cold

Medical Definition

cold

1 of 3 adjective
1
a
: having or being a temperature that is noticeably lower than body temperature and especially that is uncomfortable for humans
a cold drafty room
b
: having a relatively low temperature or one that is lower than normal or expected
the bath water has gotten cold
c
: receptive to the sensation of coldness : stimulated by cold
a cold spot is a typical receptor in higher vertebrates
2
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
3
: dead
4
: exhibiting little or no radioactivity
coldness noun

cold

2 of 3 noun
1
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat
2
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling:
a
in humans : common cold
b
in domestic animals : coryza

COLD

3 of 3 abbreviation

More from Merriam-Webster on cold

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!