cold

\ ˈkōld

How to pronounce cold (audio)

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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

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

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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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 Partly cloudy and not as cold in the evening, with lows in the mid- to upper 40s. — Washington Post, "PM Update: Clear and chilly overnight, and fine weather continues Sunday," 17 Oct. 2020 The meals come in options for dogs or cats and, according to the company, ship cold, fresh and pre-portioned. — Shari Uyehara, NBC News, "DTC dog food brands are on the rise: What to know," 16 Oct. 2020 Typically, when water at the surface of a lake is cooled — by winter air temperatures or rivers carrying spring snowmelt, for example — that cold, dense water sinks, and warmer, less dense water rises up from deeper in the lake. — John Wenz Knowable, Smithsonian Magazine, "The Explosive Hazard Hiding in an African Lake," 14 Oct. 2020 Box told listeners that her grandson came home from daycare last Friday with what appeared to be a cold, which his mother later got over the weekend. — Lawrence Andrea, The Indianapolis Star, "Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box tests positive for COVID-19," 14 Oct. 2020 Jimmy Martinez answered the phone in his office beside the ice-cold kitchen where workers poured an all-natural mix into molds that were frozen and wrapped for sale. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "Local director credits San Antonio support for award-winning film," 12 Oct. 2020 After use, the cleats may be cold, snowy, and wet, in addition to being spiky. — Anthony Marcusa, chicagotribune.com, "The best ice cleat," 10 Oct. 2020 His misadventures on multiple plant-gathering expeditions to North America—braving extreme heat, cold, and numerous watery disasters—read like farce. — Heller Mcalpin, WSJ, "‘The Journeys of Trees’ Review: Giants in Transit," 9 Oct. 2020 Orange wine is also best served cold, a perfect pairing for the warm October days that tend to linger in the Valley. — Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, "Forget pumpkin spice lattes. Here's why orange wine is the perfect fall drink for Arizona," 8 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Of his early adulthood, Luther mostly remembers the cold. — Hannah Beech, New York Times, "‘We Were Bulletproof’: As Child Soldiers Grow Up, Legacy of War Lingers," 12 Oct. 2020 The physiological reasons were still mysterious, despite military and other researchers spending many hours on who could best endure the cold, and why. — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, "Why is cold tolerance so unique to each individual?," 11 Oct. 2020 Selections obtained from a northern nursery or garden center likely still need the winter cold, which may not be adequate in Florida. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "How to control aphids on hibiscus plants," 26 Sep. 2020 City parks officials said that camps remained at more than 20 parks in Minneapolis and that they likely would be cleared out in October when the cold makes sleeping outside more dangerous. — Shannon Prather, Star Tribune, "St. Paul, Ramsey County want to add 100 beds to confront surge of homeless sleeping outdoors," 9 Sep. 2020 Already, 210,000 Americans are dead, but Moore is among those who still think coronavirus is no different than a cold. — al, "Don’t vote for stupid," 5 Oct. 2020 There’s no guaranteed way to protect these vulnerable plants against bitter cold this winter, but watering throughout the fall can give them a fighting chance. — Jim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "9 timely gardening and lawn tips for fall, whether you’re a pandemic gardening newbie or a seasoned pro," 3 Oct. 2020 Data from Australia suggest that although pandemic restrictions pushed many non-flu viruses out of circulation, a group of cold-causing pathogens known as rhinoviruses stuck around. — Marla Broadfoot, Scientific American, "Why Some People Are Still Getting Sick--but Not with COVID," 2 Oct. 2020 Reporting from the New York Times suggested Trump may have been experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, including drowsiness, at a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club Thursday. — Christine Condon, baltimoresun.com, "Trump likely to recover from COVID-19, ex Baltimore health commissioner says, but faces a long road ahead," 2 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The businesses here, which range from a boutique selling elegant European dinnerware to a cold-pressed juice bar, vary concept-wise, yet feel familial with their polished design, warm service, and curated offerings. — Katie Chang, Travel + Leisure, "Maryland’s Most Charming Town Is Where Big City Cool Meets Small Town America," 4 Oct. 2020 After struggling to make a smoothie, the star reaches for a few packets of cold-pressed applesauce to save time. — Gabrielle Chung, PEOPLE.com, "Jennifer Garner Gets Candid About Life as a 'Busy' Mom amid Coronavirus Pandemic: 'The Juggle Is Real'," 31 Aug. 2020 There's the Bloomberg campaigner who cold-called her to ask for support. — Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, "Mother of slain Cincinnati man plans protest at Freedom Center," 20 Aug. 2020 The idea to bring in Mr. Idol came from the Environmental Protection department’s marketing team, who cold-called his representatives to pitch it. — Jeffery C. Mays, New York Times, "With a Rebel Yell, New York Revs Up Its War on Idling Vehicles," 27 Feb. 2020 But her funniest, most off-the-wall appearance in the role was during a 2017 Christmas cold open. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Leslie Jones' most memorable Saturday Night Live sketches," 27 Aug. 2019 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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Learn More about cold

Dictionary Entries near cold

cold agglutination

Statistics for cold

Last Updated

20 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Cold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for cold

cold

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of cold

(Entry 1 of 3)

: having a very low temperature

: having a feeling of low body heat

of food : not heated

cold

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cold (Entry 2 of 3)

: a cold condition

: cold weather

: a common illness that affects the nose, throat, and eyes and that usually causes coughing, sneezing, etc.

cold

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of cold (Entry 3 of 3)

: in a very clear, complete, and definite way

: in a sudden way

: without practicing or preparing before doing something

See the full definition for cold in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cold

\ ˈkōld

\

colder; coldest

Kids Definition of cold

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : having a low temperature or one much below normal a cold day

2 : suffering from lack of warmth I feel cold.

3 : cooled after being cooked We ate cold chicken.

4 : served at a low temperature or with ice Have a cold drink.

5 : lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly She's been cold to me ever since our disagreement.

in cold blood

: with planning beforehand

cold

Kids Definition of cold (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a condition of low temperature : cold weather I can't stand the cold.

2 : the bodily feeling produced by lack of warmth : chill He was shivering with cold.

3 : common cold

cold

\ ˈkōld

\

Medical Definition of cold

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : having or being a temperature that is noticeably lower than body temperature and especially that is uncomfortable for humans a cold drafty room

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

c : receptive to the sensation of coldness : stimulated by cold a cold spot is a typical receptor in higher vertebrates

2 : marked by the loss of normal body heat cold hands

3 : dead

4 : exhibiting little or no radioactivity

cold

Medical Definition of cold (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat

2 : a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling:

a in humans : common cold

b in domestic animals : coryza

COLD

Medical Definition of COLD (Entry 3 of 3)

chronic obstructive lung disease

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