: gravely disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chilling
2 of 2present participle of chill entry 3
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
Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
The tragedy came just days after Emily shared her ongoing struggles in a chilling video on social media, authorities said.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2025
As Olson emphasized to Ars, courts are cautious that infringing First Amendment rights for even a brief period of time can irreparably harm speakers, including causing a chilling effect on speech broadly.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
It is recommended to alternate between the steam and ice shower, which drops to a chilling 46 degrees.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chilling
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Adjective
Trump’s new data mandate could have a chilling effect.
—Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
The tragedy came just days after Emily shared her ongoing struggles in a chilling video on social media, authorities said.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2025
As Olson emphasized to Ars, courts are cautious that infringing First Amendment rights for even a brief period of time can irreparably harm speakers, including causing a chilling effect on speech broadly.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
It is recommended to alternate between the steam and ice shower, which drops to a chilling 46 degrees.
—Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chilling
Cite this Entry
“Chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chilling. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chilling
adjective
chill·ing
ˈchil-iŋ 
: very disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chillingly
adverb
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