cold

1 of 3

adjective

ˈkōld

: having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans

it is cold outside today

a cold drafty attic

: having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected

the bath water has gotten cold

: 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

: 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

: 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

: marked by sure familiarity : pat

had her lines cold weeks before opening night

: conveying the impression of being cold: such as

: depressing, gloomy

cold gray skies

: cool sense 6a

: marked by the loss of normal body heat

cold hands

especially : dead

… she lay cold and still—she was gone …

Upton Sinclair

: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious

passed out cold

: having lost freshness or vividness : stale

dogs trying to pick up a cold scent

: far off the mark : not close to finding or solving

—used especially in children's games

: marked by poor or unlucky performance

the team's shooting turned cold in the second half

: not prepared or suitably warmed up

The player's sub entered the game cold.

coldish

ˈkōld-ish

adjective

coldly

ˈkōl(d)-lē

adverb

coldness

ˈkōl(d)-nəs

noun

cold

2 of 3

noun

: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat

they died of the cold

: a condition of low temperature

extremes of heat and cold

especially : cold weather

He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.

: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling

specifically : common cold

She came down with a cold.

cold

3 of 3

adverb

: with utter finality : absolutely, completely

turned down cold

also : abruptly

stopped them cold

: without introduction or advance notice

walked in cold to apply for a job

: without preparation or warm-up

was asked to perform the solo cold

Phrases

in cold blood

: with premeditation : deliberately

was killed in cold blood

out in the cold

: deprived of benefits given others

the plan benefits management but leaves labor out in the cold

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Dawson's Creek alum was spotted out and about in NYC's Soho neighborhood this week, wearing two casual looks that gave perfect examples for choosing outerwear and layers for the cold weather.

Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Nov. 2022 Indeed, the Tigers celebrated their 21 seniors with a 45-14 rout of New Mexico State last Saturday in a cold-weather night game that began with a temperature of 26 degrees at kickoff.

Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 23 Nov. 2022 Charlie Stewart, a searcher with Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue, told WGME that Sotelo may not have been properly attired for the cold weather.

Kerry Breen, CBS News, 23 Nov. 2022 Energy supply cuts caused by Russia’s heavy bombardment of the country’s infrastructure are combining with freezing cold winter weather to create a deadly cocktail, the World Health Organization has warned.

Patrick Smith, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2022 With the cold weather continuing up there through Thanksgiving, some of the more rural spots will have a white holiday.

Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Nov. 2022 Still, with cold weather about to blanket the continent, any disruption could affect Europe’s supply of the fuel and push up gas prices, which have eased in recent weeks.

Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 22 Nov. 2022 Trench coats are perennially stylish so why not double down with one that is cold weather suitable?

Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 21 Nov. 2022 There are also plenty of cozy gifts that are perfect for cold weather.

Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 19 Nov. 2022

Noun

The biggest missile barrages of the war have lately targeted Kyiv and other cities, plunging millions into cold and darkness.

Laura Kingstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2022 Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air, causing widespread blackouts and leaving millions of Ukrainians without heat, power or water as frigid cold and snow blankets the capital, Kyiv, and other cities.

John Leicester And Hanna Arhirova, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Nov. 2022 Despite the cold and the foreign city, the football fans made themselves at home.

Emma Stein, Detroit Free Press, 21 Nov. 2022 The 30-degree blustery weather with whipping winds brought bitter cold to more than 10 youth members and leaders outside St. Mary of the Falls Church seeking donations for the homeless.

cleveland, 20 Nov. 2022 But a little over a month ago, Russia began targeting Ukraine’s electricity grid in a bid to crush the country’s resolve by plunging it into cold and darkness.

Byyvonne Lau, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2022 Boston took control in the first quarter against the cold-shooting Hawks, whose occasional spurts were quickly snuffed out by the Celtics' stifling defense.

Paul Newberry, ajc, 17 Nov. 2022 Biking across Antarctica presented an altogether different technological challenge because of the deep snow and extreme cold.

Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 17 Nov. 2022 During a recent cryotherapy appointment, practitioners worried about the extreme cold causing the metal to burn her skin.

Rachel Wolfe, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2022

Adverb

Think smoothies, cider donuts, cardamom lattes, croissant sandwiches, cold-pressed juice, and local goods for stocking-stuffers.

Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2022 Virgin coconut oil is unrefined and cold-pressed, like extra-virgin olive oil, and isn’t hydrogenated.

Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 11 Nov. 2022 There is also an option to subscribe to the cold-pressed pouch delivery service.

Stefani Sassos, M.s., R.d.n., C.s.o., C.d.n., Good Housekeeping, 8 Nov. 2022 Both bottles of olive oil are made from high-quality, early-harvest Koroneiki olives grown in southern Greece and then cold-pressed in small batches.

Belle Duchene, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2022 Meanwhile, Act+Acre’s hair mask and cold-pressed hair cleanse is both luxurious and restorative.

Laura Jackson, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2022 That said, there are many options — refined, unrefined, virgin, extra-virgin, cold-pressed – so shopping for the right jar can be a little confusing.

Nicole Fisher, Good Housekeeping, 3 Oct. 2022 Green Tea Spinach Vitamins Cleanser sounds like a cold-pressed juice, smells like apples, and looks like dish detergent, but don't be fooled — this face wash is something worth talking about and clearing off some counter space for.

Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 26 Sep. 2022 Besides lime, the second variety adds cold-pressed jalapeño to the mix.

Robin Soslow, Chron, 22 Aug. 2022 See More

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.

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

See more words from the same century