bone-chilling
adjective
bone-chill·ing
ˈbōn-ˌchi-liŋ 
: intensely cold
bone-chilling weather
also
: penetrating, disturbing, or intense in emotional or physical effect
bone-chilling drama
a bone-chilling wind
Synonyms
Examples of bone-chilling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ready to dive into the bone-chilling Conjuring world?
—
Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
As the trailer picks up, in a flash and with a bone-chilling shriek, our driver accelerates into the undead woman, then veering into a nearby tree.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Eventually, after many more awful happenings, Dae-su’s tormentor is revealed to be the billionaire businessman Lee Woo-jin (a bone-chilling Yoo Ji-tae).
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Aug. 2023
These guys are sure to create a bone-chilling Halloween.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
This isn’t the first time scientists have grown produce in Antarctica, despite the continent’s bone-chilling temps.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2023
But that angry agent has bone-chilling words of warning about what the industry is facing if people don’t get back to normal relatively soon.
—Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 July 2023
At a bone-chilling minus 144 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 98 degrees Celsius), NASA says the East Antarctica Plateau in Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.
—Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 12 July 2023
The Act of Killing (2012) Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer In this documentary, decades after the mass murders of civilians by the Indonesian military, the leaders of the death squads reenact the killings—often with a bone-chilling casualness—using their favorite movie genres. 50.
—The New Republic, 22 June 2023
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Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023
As the trailer picks up, in a flash and with a bone-chilling shriek, our driver accelerates into the undead woman, then veering into a nearby tree.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Eventually, after many more awful happenings, Dae-su’s tormentor is revealed to be the billionaire businessman Lee Woo-jin (a bone-chilling Yoo Ji-tae).
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Aug. 2023
These guys are sure to create a bone-chilling Halloween.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023
This isn’t the first time scientists have grown produce in Antarctica, despite the continent’s bone-chilling temps.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Aug. 2023
But that angry agent has bone-chilling words of warning about what the industry is facing if people don’t get back to normal relatively soon.
—Kim Masters, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 July 2023
At a bone-chilling minus 144 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 98 degrees Celsius), NASA says the East Antarctica Plateau in Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth.
—Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 12 July 2023
The Act of Killing (2012) Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer In this documentary, decades after the mass murders of civilians by the Indonesian military, the leaders of the death squads reenact the killings—often with a bone-chilling casualness—using their favorite movie genres. 50.
—The New Republic, 22 June 2023
See More
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
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 4 Oct. 2023.
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