chill

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering (as due to illness)
He had caught a chill that night, and was now down with a fever.Wilkie Collins
usually plural
If you have a cough, fever and chills and are not breathing as easily as usual, you might have a cold or the flu.Linda Searing
Over the next few days, my body followed up with a series of messages: you have a sore throat; you have a fever; you have the chills.John Herrman
b
: an intense shivery sensation : shiver, shudder
especially : one caused by a strong emotion (such as fear)
Do you like a good scare? The sort of story, or moment, that sends a chill down your spine and makes the hair on your arms stand up like porcupine quills? Katherine Scott Crawford
often plural
a song so beautiful it gives me chills
… this is where [Stephen] King shines, creating those aforementioned creepy scenes that gave me the chills. Katherine Whitt
c
: a disagreeable sensation of coldness
When you venture outside on a cold day, chances are you feel the biggest chill in your fingers.Tamekia Reece
2
: a moderate but disagreeable degree of cold
a chill in the air
3
: a check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling
And a chill fell over the service as mourners … carried a casket draped in white to the altar.Katherine Creag and Jennifer Millman

chill

2 of 3

adjective

sometimes chiller; sometimes chillest
1
a
: moderately cold
b
: cold, raw
2
: affected by cold
chill travelers
3
: distant, formal
a chill reception
4
: depressing, dispiriting
chill penuryThomas Gray
5
informal : having a laid-back style or easy demeanor
She looked just like Joey Potter … Really young and super chill. No one was paying any attention. It was a laid-back situation.Emma Pearse
We're very casual. I love how at City Hall people come in everything from wedding gowns to jeans. It's so mellow and chill, just how we like it.Erin Burnett
chillness noun

chill

3 of 3

verb

chilled; chilling; chills

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become taken with a chill
3

transitive verb

1
a
: to make cold or chilly
chilled by a cold wind
b
: to make cool especially without freezing
chill the wine
2
: to affect as if with cold : dispirit

Examples of chill in a Sentence

Noun There was a chill in the autumn air. He closed the windows to keep out the chill. Her symptoms include chills and a fever. He caught a chill that turned into a bad cold. The novel's final scene gave him the chills. Her words sent chills down my spine. Adjective The chill weather kept us indoors. were met with a chill gaze when they arrived home late from the party Verb Chill the dessert for one hour before serving it. Let the dessert chill for one hour before serving it. Here's a ghost story that will chill you. Her screams chilled me to the bone. a horrible sight that chilled my bones He thinks his parents are way too uptight and says they should just chill. I decided to stay home and chill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Dial and his colleagues focused on October, when that ice remains low before the winter chill, but air temperatures regularly drop below freezing. Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Forecast in detail Our brief taste of spring is gone, but the sun is stronger these days and burns off the chill before long. David Streit, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 As winter’s chill creeps in, homeowners cozy up indoors, seeking refuge from the biting cold and relentless rain. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Malaria usually causes severe headaches, fevers, and chills for modern day humans. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 The blast of chill will be short-lived as temperatures in the central US climb close to springlike levels again by Friday and much of the East by Saturday. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 However, if the National Weather Service issues a wind chill warning, there's a good chance school districts will start discussing the possibility of being closed for in-person learning or delaying start times. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 The Chronograph 1 Utility Limited Edition emerges as a watch forged in the fires of competition and cooled in the alpine chill, its design honoring the resilience and exactness intrinsic to the race. Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 If the vibe of the bachelorette is leaning toward chill and chiller, then there may be nowhere better suited than Scottsdale. Juliet Izon, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Calistoga Even with a Four Seasons resort, Calistoga is still the chillest small town in Napa Valley. Megan Wood, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2024 Still, there are no hard feelings because this is the chillest WTA ever. EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Lounging on a couch before the interview starts, his demeanor is as chill as his beaming platinum grill looks. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2023 The lyrics talk about some hot action that is due to go down between the two, but the music, however, high-energy, feels deeply chill. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 July 2023 And each interaction is, for them, a strange negotiation between wanting to be safe and the almost equally powerful desire to be cool, to be chill, to not be a drag. Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023 The most popular breed for the outgoing and energetic Aries is the decidedly chill American Bulldog. Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 2 Sep. 2023 The wrap tie shows off your waist, while the tiered hem and keeps things chill. Anna Vognsen, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2023 His latest mixtape, Glad, is probably his chillest since 2020’s Garden, mostly because a large chunk of it features the soothing keyboard riffs of producer Dylvinci. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 23 Aug. 2023
Verb
Banks like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America are opening up programs once reserved for women and minorities to a broader pool of applicants as legal threats chill DEI efforts on Wall Street. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Make it the night before—this St. Patrick’s Day dessert needs time to chill before serving. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and, once no longer warm, place in the refrigerator until chilled; this step can be done earlier in the day or up to a day ahead. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024 An Alabama court ruled frozen embryos are children, chilling IVF advocates. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Jasper Village is an ideal spot to spend the night or even a couple of days hiking the trails of Maligne Canyon, paddling one of the many lakes, soaking at Miette Hot Springs or chilling in one of the famous red chairs. Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The next few days were bliss: a hike through bamboo forests, meditating by a river, dancing in her underwear on a hillside, chilling in a cafe playing her drum. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Cover pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate brownies until chilled, at least 2 hours. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Serve at room temperature or chilled with fruit or crackers. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chill.' 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

Noun

Middle English chile chill, frost, from Old English ciele; akin to Old English ceald cold

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chill was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chill

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

chill

1 of 3 noun
1
: a feeling of cold accompanied by shivering
chills and fever
2
: a moderate but unpleasant amount of cold
there was a chill in the air

chill

2 of 3 adjective
1
: unpleasantly cold : raw
nights grew chill
2
: not friendly
a chill greeting
chillness noun

chill

3 of 3 verb
1
: to make or become cold or chilly
2
: to cool without freezing
chill the pudding for dessert
3
: to affect as if with cold
we were chilled by the ghost story
4
chiller noun

Medical Definition

chill

1 of 2 noun
1
: a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering
2
: a disagreeable sensation of coldness

chill

2 of 2 intransitive verb
1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become affected with a chill

transitive verb

: to make cold or chilly

Legal Definition

chill

transitive verb
: to discourage especially through fear of penalty : have a chilling effect on
statutes which may chill the exercise of…free expressionM. H. Redish

More from Merriam-Webster on chill

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!