chilling

1 of 2

adjective

chill·​ing ˈchi-liŋ 

: gravely disturbing or frightening

a chilling case of abuse

chillingly

ˈchi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

chilling

2 of 2

present participle of chill entry 3

Synonyms of chilling

Adjective

• chilly
• chill
• bleak
• bitter
• cold

Examples of chilling in a Sentence

Adjective

a Southern visitor who was unused to the chilling air of a Northeast winter

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In the upper right-hand corner is a cheat sheet that quickly indicates the oven temp, difficulty level, chilling time, and mixing method (by hand or machine) for every recipe. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 Sep. 2026

Abraham and Szor intersperse these chilling testimonies with shots from the rooftops of the Tel Aviv skyline at night. — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Coxon’s third post in the string is perhaps the most chilling. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

The rattle of a bride’s gold earring or the rasp of straightener steam through a bride’s hair takes on a panic-inducingly eerie quality thanks to Marie-Clotilde Chery’s chilling sound design. — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1815, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chilling

• bone-chilling
• spine-chilling

Rhymes for chilling

• billing
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling
• spilling

Kids Definition

chilling

adjective

chill·​ing ˈchil-iŋ 

: very disturbing or frightening

a chilling case of abuse

chillingly adverb