cold

adjective

\ ˈkōld

Definition of cold

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans it is cold outside today a cold drafty attic

b : having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected the bath water has gotten cold

c : not heated: such as

(1) of food : served without heating especially after initial cooking or processing cold cereal cold roast beef

(2) : served chilled or with ice a cold drink

(3) : involving processing without the use of heat cold working of steel

2a : marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion a cold stare got a cold reception also : not moved to enthusiasm the movie leaves me cold

b : not colored or affected by personal feeling or bias : detached, indifferent cold chronicles recorded by an outsider— Andrew Sarris also : impersonal, objective cold facts cold reality

c : marked by sure familiarity : pat had her lines cold weeks before opening night

3 : conveying the impression of being cold: such as

a : depressing, gloomy cold gray skies

b : cool sense 6a

4a : marked by the loss of normal body heat cold hands especially : dead … she lay cold and still—she was gone … — Upton Sinclair

b : giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious passed out cold

5a : having lost freshness or vividness : stale dogs trying to pick up a cold scent

b : far off the mark : not close to finding or solving —used especially in children's games

c : marked by poor or unlucky performance the team's shooting turned cold in the second half

d : not prepared or suitably warmed up The player's sub entered the game cold.

in cold blood

: with premeditation : deliberately was killed in cold blood

cold

noun

Definition of cold (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat they died of the cold

2 : a condition of low temperature extremes of heat and cold especially : cold weather He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.

3 : a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling specifically : common cold She came down with a cold.

out in the cold

: deprived of benefits given others the plan benefits management but leaves labor out in the cold

cold

adverb

Definition of cold (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : with utter finality : absolutely, completely turned down cold also : abruptly stopped them cold

2a : without introduction or advance notice walked in cold to apply for a job

b : without preparation or warm-up was asked to perform the solo cold

Other Words from cold Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cold

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Other Words from cold

Adjective

coldish \ ˈkōld-ish

\ adjective

coldly \ ˈkōl(d)-lē

\ adverb

coldness \ ˈkōl(d)-nəs

\ noun

Examples of cold in a Sentence

Adjective

The water was too cold for swimming. The weather has been unusually cold this spring. a country with a cold climate It was a long, cold winter. It's cold outside, but the wind makes it feel even colder. It's bitterly cold out there! metal that is cold to the touch Are you cold? I could turn up the temperature if you'd like. a bowl of cold cereal He ate cold pizza for breakfast.

Noun

I mind cold more than heat. They died of exposure to cold. The cold really sets in around late November and doesn't let up until April. I stood there shivering in the cold. He waited outside for her in the bitter cold. Come in out of the cold. It's not the flu, it's just a cold.

Adverb

She was asked to perform the song cold.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Many women who don’t want children can rattle off a list of things people have accused them of being: selfish, immoral, cold, greedy, unable to experience real love—just to name a few. — Therese Shechter, SELF, "Menopause Was the Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me," 13 Mar. 2019 Then came the 2000s fight over Pluto's planethood, which resulted in the small, cold, distant planet being reclassified as a dwarf planet. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Here's What We Know About Planet Nine," 9 Mar. 2019 In particular, the formerly timid Eve is now officially a stone-cold killer. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "'Killing Eve' Season Two Finally Has a Release Date. Here's Everything We Know.," 5 Jan. 2019 Double-walled vacuum insulation keeps drinks hot or cold, and a press-on lid helps to prevent spills. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "The ultimate van life shopping guide," 14 Nov. 2018 The first few seconds of screen time belong to the story’s stone-cold psycho (Rotimi Paul, truly scary as Skeletor). — Michael Phillips, kansascity, "In ‘First Purge’ prequel, there’s no avoiding politics or buckets of blood," 3 July 2018 July is a good time to fill in bare or now weedy spots left by cold, drought or pests. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "July in the garden," 30 June 2018 In different hands, a space like that could feel cold and uninviting. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "So This Is The Secret to Making a Modern Home Feel Cozy," 8 Mar. 2019 In most of the country, the weather is still cold AF, and spring can feel so far away. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "Here’s What’s Coming to/Leaving Netflix in March 2019," 20 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

His face was covered with a surgical mask, often used by Japanese who have a cold. — Sean Mclain, WSJ, "‘It Failed’: Ghosn Lawyer Fesses Up to Dress-Up Drama," 7 Mar. 2019 Instead of rushing inside to escape the snow, Meghan and Harry generously spoke to people throughout the crowd, and seemed happy to make conversation with everyone who had braved the cold. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Greeting Children in the Snow Will Melt Your Heart," 1 Feb. 2019 The allure of true crime compelled guests to brave the bitter cold to the screening downtown at Metrograph. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Patty Jenkins and Chris Pine Attend The New York Premiere for TNT’s I Am The Night," 24 Jan. 2019 Manganello, an Olympic rookie, had a cold in recent days, which kept her off the ice until Monday. — Bloomberg.com, "US Speedskaters Off to Another Slow Start At Olympics," 12 Feb. 2018 Weston was like a blanket that protected me from ever being fully exposed to the cold. — Fresh U, Teen Vogue, "How To Cope With Culture Shock In College," 13 Nov. 2018 Authorities said that three homeless people in Texas died from exposure to the cold. — Melanie Feuk, Houston Chronicle, "Kingwood volunteer highlights importance of community service," 7 July 2018 But just as Wisconsinites have grown accustomed to the cold and Kansans live with the summer threat of tornadoes, Hawaiians are generally accepting of the risk. — Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, "On Hawaii's Big Island: Near Volcano Kilauea life 'normal for none of us'; elsewhere business as usual," 7 May 2018 Flynn wanted to see how gamma-Aminobutyric acid, shortened to GABA, could be used to save a plant's life during exposure to the extreme cold. — Michael Walsh, Courant Community, "Saint Timothy Middle School Students Excel At Connecticut Science Fair," 3 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

Consulting the Yellow Pages, he cold-called the store, and got the job because Holloway’s mother got a good feeling about him on the phone. — Gavin Edwards, charlotteobserver, "Pianos, mules, guitar strings: A 106-year-old family business is bidding it all goodbye," 8 June 2018 This wasn’t a promotional gimmick as much as an indication of the cheapness of Finley and persistence of Baer, who cold-called the owner to get the job. — Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Hot Pants Day’ and four other Oakland A’s gimmicks from the 1970s," 26 Mar. 2018 But the Falcons went ice cold early in the second half, and Milwaukee Lutheran went on a 13-4 run that gave the Red Knights a 60-54 lead with 12 minutes to play. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brown Deer shores up piece of sixth conference title in high-scoring win over Milwaukee Lutheran," 16 Feb. 2018

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

History and Etymology for cold

Adjective

Middle English, going back to Old English cald (Anglian), ceald (West Saxon), going back to Germanic *kalða- (whence Old Saxon cald "cold," Middle Dutch cout, Old High German kalt, Old Norse kaldr, Gothic kalds), verbal adjective from *kalan- "to be cold" (whence Old English calan "to be cold, to make cold," Old Norse kala "to freeze") going back to a dialectal Indo-European base *ǵel-, *ǵol-, whence also Latin gelū, gelus "frost, cold," gelāre "to freeze, chill"

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English ceald, cald, noun derivative of ceald, cald cold entry 1 (or derivative from the Germanic base of these adjectives)

Adverb

derivative of cold entry 1

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