1
a
: 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
2
a
: 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
Andrew Sarris
c
: marked by sure familiarity : pat
had her lines cold weeks before opening night
3
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
5
a
: 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.
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
1
: with utter finality : absolutely, completely
turned down cold
2
a
: 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
Synonyms
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 WebRobert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Executive chef Juan Romero is leading the kitchen, which will put out small plates of charcuterie and cheeses, plus cold and hot tapas.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2024
But the Heat then went cold (two points in more than four minutes) and Dallas went on a 7-2 run to go up 101-88 with five minutes left.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
San Diego County Sheriff's Office Even after the medical examiner ruled her manner of death as homicide, investigators were unable to develop many leads and the case subsequently went cold.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Dishes served cold, like cheesecake and icebox pie, can easily be pre-arranged and ready to pull out of the fridge at a moment’s notice.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The case went cold, and the victim was not identified until earlier this year following recent attempts to identify her.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The latter helps keep everything frosty cold when plunging.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
At the emergency clinic on the day of her death, Alexander's body was already cold and Hooey reportedly told medical personnel and authorities at least four different stories about what happened to the child, who had a visible black eye and other injuries.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024
Amanda Gardner, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
The state’s superintendents, maintenance directors, teachers and students see the leaks, pack into crowded hallways and feel the extreme cold and heat throughout the year.
—Asia Fields, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2024
Through the winter, Miranda had suffered a series of bad colds; getting her on the phone had become hard.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
While the other dog quickly found a forever home, Ludwig unfortunately caught a puppy cold and did not get better after a few weeks.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The assault on Friday was reminiscent of Russia’s air campaign against the Ukrainian energy grid during the first winter of the war, which plunged Kyiv into cold and darkness.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The lows, when the mental errors creep in, stop a drive cold.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024
The portable air purifier can clean the surrounding air in as little as 12 minutes, relieving allergies, colds, and more.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The gentle formula flushes out irritants and moisturizes dry nasal passages related to allergies, colds, flu, and sinusitis.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023
If the suspect is an undocumented immigrant, the trail can go cold quickly.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023
Garden mums, on the other hand, can survive cold better.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023
Initial leads running cold over the weekend with over 200 officers working the case.
—Adrienne Vogt, CNN, 3 May 2023
First detected in the stream after the stream mouth emerged from glacial ice were larvae of chironomids, cold-loving midges.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023
The green mandarin that features in Armani Code Eau de Toilette was cold-extracted from fruits handpicked in Calabria, Italy—a sourcing method that helps support local farmers and invests in responsible agricultural practices.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2023
Clothing choice in what appears to be below-zero weather is the low point here: they are all clad in metal armor, which is likely heavy, restrictive, and cold-conducting.
—Benjamin Tepler, Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022
The compilation was spurred by longtime Alaska journalist and writer Lael Morgan, who cold-called James and pitched him on the idea of a book focusing on Alaska literature.
—Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Advertisement The eight-episode series begins in December 1776 as Franklin and his teenage grandson, Temple (Noah Jupe), who has come along to act as his secretary, are rowed ashore in Brittany on a cold and windy night.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Executive chef Juan Romero is leading the kitchen, which will put out small plates of charcuterie and cheeses, plus cold and hot tapas.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2024
But the Heat then went cold (two points in more than four minutes) and Dallas went on a 7-2 run to go up 101-88 with five minutes left.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
San Diego County Sheriff's Office Even after the medical examiner ruled her manner of death as homicide, investigators were unable to develop many leads and the case subsequently went cold.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Dishes served cold, like cheesecake and icebox pie, can easily be pre-arranged and ready to pull out of the fridge at a moment’s notice.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2024
Advertisement The case went cold, and the victim was not identified until earlier this year following recent attempts to identify her.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024
The latter helps keep everything frosty cold when plunging.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
At the emergency clinic on the day of her death, Alexander's body was already cold and Hooey reportedly told medical personnel and authorities at least four different stories about what happened to the child, who had a visible black eye and other injuries.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
What To Avoid Some medicines will not work against colds or may be harmful to some people.
—Amanda Gardner, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
The state’s superintendents, maintenance directors, teachers and students see the leaks, pack into crowded hallways and feel the extreme cold and heat throughout the year.
—Asia Fields, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2024
Through the winter, Miranda had suffered a series of bad colds; getting her on the phone had become hard.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
While the other dog quickly found a forever home, Ludwig unfortunately caught a puppy cold and did not get better after a few weeks.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
The assault on Friday was reminiscent of Russia’s air campaign against the Ukrainian energy grid during the first winter of the war, which plunged Kyiv into cold and darkness.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The lows, when the mental errors creep in, stop a drive cold.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024
The portable air purifier can clean the surrounding air in as little as 12 minutes, relieving allergies, colds, and more.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The gentle formula flushes out irritants and moisturizes dry nasal passages related to allergies, colds, flu, and sinusitis.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024
Adverb
The two teams were tied at 17-17 after a first quarter that saw the Buckeyes go cold late, shooting two for 11 to close the period.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023
If the suspect is an undocumented immigrant, the trail can go cold quickly.
—Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023
Garden mums, on the other hand, can survive cold better.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023
Initial leads running cold over the weekend with over 200 officers working the case.
—Adrienne Vogt, CNN, 3 May 2023
First detected in the stream after the stream mouth emerged from glacial ice were larvae of chironomids, cold-loving midges.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023
The green mandarin that features in Armani Code Eau de Toilette was cold-extracted from fruits handpicked in Calabria, Italy—a sourcing method that helps support local farmers and invests in responsible agricultural practices.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2023
Clothing choice in what appears to be below-zero weather is the low point here: they are all clad in metal armor, which is likely heavy, restrictive, and cold-conducting.
—Benjamin Tepler, Outside Online, 14 Oct. 2022
The compilation was spurred by longtime Alaska journalist and writer Lael Morgan, who cold-called James and pitched him on the idea of a book focusing on Alaska literature.
—Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
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
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Adverb
1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cold was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing cold
Dictionary Entries Near cold
Cite this Entry
“Cold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cold
1 of 2 adjective1
: having a low temperature or one much below normal
a cold day
a cold drink
2
: lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly
a cold stare
3
: suffering or uncomfortable from lack of warmth
they feel cold
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
coldly
adverb
cold
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a condition of low temperature
b
: cold weather
2
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat : chill
3
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling
especially
: common cold
Medical Definition
cold
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: 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
2 of 3 noun1
: 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
3 of 3 abbreviation
More from Merriam-Webster on cold
Nglish: Translation of cold for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cold for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cold
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