chill

1 of 3

noun

ˈchil 

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 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

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

a

: chill out

b

: hang sense 12

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

Synonyms

Noun

• bite
• bitterness
• bleakness
• chilliness
• nip
• nippiness
• rawness
• sharpness

Adjective

• antiseptic
• arctic
• brittle
• chilly
• clammy
• cold
• cold-blooded
• cold-eyed
• coldish
• cool
• frigid
• frosty
• frozen
• gelid
• glacial
• hard-eyed
• icy
• uncordial
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic
• wintry
• wintery

Verb

• cool
• refrigerate

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

Studs are like codex for the alternative — unmistakable messaging that turns any chill fit into a statement. —Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Birds fell silent and outdoor lights flickered on, tricked by the midday darkness and the sudden chill in the air. —Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024

Other symptoms include congestion, dizziness, sensitivity to light/sound/smell, changes in speech, sweating and/or the chills, and nausea/vomiting, Postdrome: Also called a migraine hangover, this stage can last from several hours to two days. —Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

Symptoms of meningococcal bloodstream infections include fever and chills, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, rapid breathing, diarrhea and in later stages, a dark purple rash. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

Let stand at room temperature, or chill in refrigerator until chocolate has set, about 20 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in refrigerator. —Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

When a person dependent on opioids stops taking them, their body goes into withdrawal, often accompanied by shakes, nausea, fever, sweating, and chills. —Lauren Peace, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024

Other symptoms mirror those of respiratory illnesses, including fever, chills, exhaustion, and headache. —Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024

Create a playlist of calming tunes, download a chill but entertaining podcast, keep a comforting snack or drink nearby (thermos of chamomile tea, anyone?), and turn the AC or heat to a pleasant temp. —Ashley Abramson, SELF, 25 Mar. 2024

Adjective

Cicadas are shockingly chill, protein-packed, and taste like high-end shrimp—easy, delicious prey. —Celia Ford, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024

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

Verb

So at 61 is Jordan about to spend the rest of days chilling in the Sunshine State? —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Cornell notes that chilling strawberries to 32°will slow or stop the development of larvae, so the best practice is to keep that carton of berries in your fridge. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2024

This chills the drink and mixes the ingredients thoroughly, emulsifying them into a smooth, cohesive blend. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2024

Or keep things chill and take advantage of some of the city’s luxurious five-star resorts. —Nina Kahn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024

Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. —Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024

Potter's haunting vocals and the bands chilling instrumental is as authentic as a performance can be. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

This recipe for one can scale up to your number of guests—just batch and chill ahead before the party begins. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024

Kahan, of course, just chilled and waited for more potential collaborators to stop by. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing chill

• a chill down your spine
• a chill/shiver runs up/down someone's spine
• caught a chill
• chill factor
• chill out
• make a chill/shiver run up/down someone's spine
• pre-chill
• send a chill/shiver up/down someone's spine
• take the chill off

Kids Definition

chill

1 of 3 noun

ˈchil 

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

: chill out

chiller noun

Medical Definition

chill

1 of 2 noun

ˈchil 

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 expression

—M. H. Redish