chill

noun

\ ˈchil

Definition of chill

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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 SearingOver 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

adjective

sometimes chiller; sometimes chillest

Definition of chill (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : moderately cold

b : cold, raw

2 : affected by cold chill travelers

3 : distant, formal a chill reception

4 : depressing, dispiriting chill penury— Thomas 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

chill

verb

chilled; chilling; chills

Definition of chill (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to become cold

b : to shiver or quake with or as if with cold

2 : to become taken with a chill

3a : chill out

b : hang sense 12

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from chill Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About chill

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 In this Raiders game, the temperature was 11 degrees with a minus-14 wind chill, so the Bills turned to their potent running game and Thomas and Robb Riddick combined for 150 of Buffalo’s 255 rushing yards and Kelly threw for just 128. — Sal Maiorana, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2022 The Midwest is already seeing below-zero temperatures with wind chill near negative 53 degrees. — Max Golembo, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2022 Sunday night’s game exemplified the potential advantage the Packers have playing home games in January, as the temperature was 11 degrees with a wind chill of 1 just before kickoff. — Steve Megargee, chicagotribune.com, 3 Jan. 2022 Sunday night’s game exemplified the potential advantage the Packers have playing home games in January, as the temperature was 11 degrees with a wind chill of 1 just before kickoff. — Bloomberg.com, 3 Jan. 2022 Forecasters said Little Rock is expected to see a low Sunday around 29, with a wind chill of 19. — Arkansas Democrat-gazette, Arkansas Online, 1 Jan. 2022 The first day of winter arrived in Southern California on Tuesday with a chill and the promise of wind, rain and snow, just in time for the holidays. — Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2021 Offering a nice sense of charm, this is instantly approachable and can be enjoyed (perhaps even with a light chill) over the next 2-4 years with a wide range of foods, from lighter pastas, to duck breast and veal medallions. — Tom Hyland, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2021 Adam Driver, in a superb performance, enacts the shifts in Maurizio with a supple chill. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Nov. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective This bar is actually, mercifully chill and diverse. — Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2021 Aaron came in with a dislike towards Thomas after their time together on The Bachelorette, but Thomas has actually been pretty chill thus far in Paradise. — Martha Sorren, refinery29.com, 31 Aug. 2021 The show has always had this aesthetic which was bleak but chill. — Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2021 Weezer, the band that is now a glorified cover band (and seems pretty chill about it) has become the covered. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2021 November brings a bit more chill, with daytime temperatures hovering in the 40s. — Erica Lamberg, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2021 Octomore is, like all Bruichladdich whisky, non-chill-filtered and no color is added. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2021 Meanwhile, on the diamond, things were generally more chill. — Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Oct. 2021 No one is more chill about Sandy Brondello and Olaf Lange coaching against each in the WNBA Finals than the spouses themselves. — Jeff Metcalfe, The Arizona Republic, 11 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Slowing activity in China, the region's biggest economy, can chill growth throughout the region. — Elaine Kurtenbach, ajc, 17 Jan. 2022 Lawsuits of this kind chill the scrutiny into oligarch's affairs, now more needed than ever, and can serve as an arm of disinformation. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2022 Note that the dough does need to chill for a few hours. — Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2021 Temperatures will chill overnight down to the low 30s. — oregonlive, 2 Dec. 2021 Wine fridge: Extra beverage storage is always helpful when serving a crowd, and a wine fridge can chill much more than just wine. — Brenda Richardson, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2021 The law, Brown has argued, could chill speech that’s protected under the First Amendment. — BostonGlobe.com, 4 Nov. 2021 If dough becomes too soft at any point, chill it in fridge 15–30 minutes, then continue. — Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 10 Dec. 2021 From party to chill locations, here are the top island hotspots that’ll deliver quintessential Ibiza feels. — Felicity Carter, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.