cool

adjective

\ ˈkül

Definition of cool

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : moderately cold : lacking in warmth The plant grows best in cool climates.

2a : marked by steady dispassionate calmness and self-control a cool and calculating businessperson

b : lacking ardor or friendliness a cool impersonal manner

c of jazz : marked by restrained emotion and the frequent use of counterpoint

d : free from tensions or violence We used to fight, but we're cool now.

3 —used as an intensive a cool million dollars

4 : marked by deliberate effrontery or lack of due respect or discretion a cool reply

5 : facilitating or suggesting relief from heat a cool dress

6a of a color : producing an impression of being cool specifically : of a hue in the range violet through blue to green

b of a musical tone : relatively lacking in timbre or resonance (see resonance sense 2a)

7 informal

a : very good : excellent That was a really cool movie. also : all right Is getting together Friday night cool with you?

b : fashionable, hip … not happy with the new shoes … because they were not "cool."— Celestine Sibley

cool

verb

cooled; cooling; cools

Definition of cool (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

1 : to become cool : lose heat or warmth placed the pie in the window to cool —sometimes used with off or down

2 : to lose ardor or passion His anger cooled.

transitive verb

1 : to make cool : impart a feeling of coolness to cooled the room with a fan —often used with off or down A swim cooled us off a little.

2a : to moderate the heat, excitement, or force of : calm cooled her growing anger

b : to slow or lessen the growth or activity of —usually used with off or down wants to cool off the economy without freezing it — Newsweek

cool it

: to calm down : go easy The word went out to the young to cool it.— W. M. Young

cool one's heels

: to wait or be kept waiting for a long time especially from or as if from disdain or discourtesy

cool

noun

Definition of cool (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : a cool time, place, or situation the cool of the evening

2a : absence of excitement or emotional involvement : detachment … must surrender his fine cool and enter the closed crazy world of suicide …— Wilfrid Sheed

b : poise, composure The player lost his cool and began yelling at the referee.

3 : hipness

cool

adverb

Definition of cool (Entry 4 of 4)

: in a casual and nonchalant manner play it cool

Other Words from cool Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about cool

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Other Words from cool

Adjective

coolish \ ˈkü-lish

\ adjective

coolly or less commonly cooly \ ˈkü(l)-lē

\ adverb

coolness \ ˈkül-nəs

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for cool

Adjective

cool, composed, collected, unruffled, imperturbable, nonchalant mean free from agitation or excitement. cool may imply calmness, deliberateness, or dispassionateness. kept a cool head composed implies freedom from agitation as a result of self-discipline or a sedate disposition. the composed pianist gave a flawless concert collected implies a concentration of mind that eliminates distractions especially in moments of crisis. the nurse stayed calm and collected unruffled suggests apparent serenity and poise in the face of setbacks or in the midst of excitement. harried but unruffled imperturbable implies coolness or assurance even under severe provocation. the speaker remained imperturbable despite the heckling nonchalant stresses an easy coolness of manner or casualness that suggests indifference or unconcern. a nonchalant driver

Examples of cool in a Sentence

Adjective

The weather is cool today. The surface is cool to the touch. The plant grows best in cool climates. I'm feeling a little cool. We changed into some cooler clothes. She remained calm, cool, and collected.

Verb

The fan cools the engine. the cooling effect of the breeze Allow the cake to cool before slicing. the cooling of the ocean waters I took a break from the discussion to allow my anger to cool. His interest in her has cooled somewhat.

Noun

the judge's customary cool stood him in good stead during the sensational trial I envy you your cool.

Adverb

Here comes Mom. Act cool and she won't suspect a thing.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Their body overreacts to try to cool them off by dispersing heat and sweating. — Korin Miller, Health.com, "What Are Hot Flashes—And Why Do They Happen During Menopause?," 17 Sep. 2019 For residents needing relief from the heat, cooling centers are open in many Bay Area counties. — Michael Cabanatuan, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area braces for another ‘uncomfortably warm’ summer day," 15 Aug. 2019 See the gallery for the list of cooling centers and their hours. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Houston activates heat emergency plan, opens cooling centers as heat wave sets in," 9 Aug. 2019 That’s because more warning means extra time to prepare cooling centers and swimming pools, shore up the electric grid, and pre-position supplies for heat-vulnerable populations and machines. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "Scientists Are Getting Better at Predicting Killer Heat Waves," 24 July 2019 Sweltering temperatures led to several cities issuing heat advisories and opening up cooling centers to try to protect the most vulnerable communities. — Hollie Silverman, CNN, "The deadly heat wave that gripped more than half of the US is finally coming to an end," 22 July 2019 As part of its response to extreme temperatures, the city opened hundreds of cooling centers this weekend, including one at the Jacob A. Riis Settlement House, a community center serving Queensbridge Houses residents in Long Island City. — Ali Watkins, New York Times, "Heat Wave in New York: 50,000 Con Edison Customers Lose Power," 21 July 2019 Dozens of cities and towns have issued weather warnings or watches, reminding residents to avoid the sun, stay hydrated and utilize cooling centers for relief. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, "Summer's record-high temperatures threaten to scorch the economy," 19 July 2019 In anticipation of excessive heat starting Friday, the villages of Northbrook and Glenview are informing residents of cooling centers in their areas. — Alexandra Kukulka, chicagotribune.com, "With excessive heat warning issued, Glenview and Northbrook announce cooling venues," 19 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Even warm breezes carry an edge of cool as a reminder of the latitude, and restaurants with outdoor seating offer heat lamps and blankets. — Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, "Bursting with joy over vast landscapes, extensive bike trails and time to enjoy them," 12 Sep. 2019 Wind down on Pub Street, Siem Reap’s center of cool, for a hearty lunch at French bakery and café Blue Pumpkin, a large, sunny joint known for cakes, sorbets, and ice creams. — Kareena Gianani, National Geographic, "Explore Cambodia’s ancient stone city," 10 Sep. 2019 Jennifer Aniston is pretty much the epitome of California cool. — Abby Gardner, Allure, "Jennifer Aniston Swears By This $195 Gold Face-Sculpting Tool," 6 Sep. 2019 Jennifer Aniston is pretty much the epitome of California cool. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Jennifer Aniston Swears By This Gold Face-Sculpting Tool," 4 Sep. 2019 Image isn’t everything Van Wagenen, excepting his chair-throwing fit in a coaches’ meeting last week, seems an exemplar of California cool. — New York Times, "What Brodie Van Wagenen Can Learn From the Architect of the ’69 Mets," 22 July 2019 My dad played there in college, so that’s kind of cool, but I really like their coaching staff. — Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Basketball recruiting: Purdue keeps an eye on Minnesota forward Ben Carlson," 12 July 2019 For one girl, a picture of the master of cool actually appeared outside of her social media feeds. — Time, "Casual Mother Reveals She Went to High School With Keanu Reeves and Has a Yearbook to Prove It," 10 July 2019 Whatever the situation is, the stunt is giving Windows' social media managers a chance to load their replies to confused tweets with throwbacks, from Back to the Future gifs to all the jargon that was once the epitome of cool. — Anna Washenko, Ars Technica, "Microsoft is teasing Windows 1.0 and other 1980s software," 2 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

On-shore winds from the lake have been keeping things cool around Milwaukee the past few days. — Joe Taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Summer set to return in time for Father's Day," 12 June 2018 Let cool slightly before putting in a serving bowl to shape (see photo). — Josie Sexton, The Know, "From peach foie gras to boozy slushies, 20 ways to eat peaches at Denver restaurants right now," 28 Aug. 2019 Fortunately, our ancestors knew a thing or two about staying cool even without electricity. — WSJ, "How We Kept Cool Before Air Conditioning," 20 June 2019 Let cool slightly, then chop the eggplant into 1-inch pieces. — Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, "Three recipes that bring out the deep flavors of eggplant," 7 Aug. 2019 Look cool in a loose-fitting camp-collar shirt with a bold summer pattern. — David Syrek, chicagotribune.com, "Lollapalooza no-stress style guide for guys," 21 July 2019 Let cool; finely crush with the side of a chef’s knife. — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Spinach-Yogurt Dip with Sizzled Mint," 19 Mar. 2018 Let cool Make Pie Dough Pastry: In food processor, blend flour and salt. — Good Housekeeping, "Onion Goat Cheese Tart," 29 July 2015 Let cool slightly before lifting out the slab and transferring to a wire rack (discard the foil once cooled). — Becky Krystal, The Denver Post, "The key to these gooey, chocolaty blondies? Open sesame.," 3 June 2019

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

First Known Use of cool

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1968, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for cool

Adjective

Middle English col, going back to Old English cōl, going back to West Germanic *kōlu- (whence also Middle Dutch coele "moderately cold" and, from a variant *kōlja-, Old High German kuoli), lengthened-grade derivative from the base of *kalan- "to be cold" — more at cold entry 1

Verb

Middle English colen, going back to Old English cōlian, verbal derivative from Germanic *kōl- cool entry 1 (whence also Old Saxon colon "to become cool," Old High German kuolēn)

Noun

Middle English cole, derivative of col cool entry 1

Adverb

derivative of cool entry 1

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Dictionary Entries near cool

Statistics for cool

Last Updated

17 Sep 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for cool

The first known use of cool was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for cool

cool

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of cool

(Entry 1 of 3)

: somewhat cold : not warm or hot

: made of a light, thin material that helps you stay cool

: able to think and act in a calm way : not affected by strong feelings

cool

verb

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

: to make (someone or something) cool

: to become cool : to lose heat or warmth

: to become less strong or intense especially in emotion

cool

adverb

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

informal : in a calm manner : in a way that does not seem unusual or excited

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

cool

adjective

\ ˈkül

cooler; coolest

Kids Definition of cool

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : somewhat cold : not warm a cool day a cool room

2 : not letting or keeping in heat cool clothes

3 : calm entry 3 sense 2 She is cool in a crisis.

4 : not interested or friendly: He was cool to my idea.

5 : fashionable, stylish, or attractive in a way that is widely approved of

6 : very good excellent

cool

verb

cooled; cooling

Kids Definition of cool (Entry 2 of 3)

: to make or become less warm

cool

noun

Kids Definition of cool (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : a time or place that is not warm the cool of the evening

2 : a calm state of mind Keep your cool.

cool

intransitive verb

Legal Definition of cool

: to lose passion : become calm —sometimes used with off or down the time elapsing…is such that a reasonable man thus provoked would have cooled— W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.