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 (see counterpoint entry 1)

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

Keep scrolling for more

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

One of the recovery methods Aschwanden looks at in Good to Go is cooling technology like icing and cryotherapy. — Natalie B. Compton, WIRED, "Inside the Bulletproof Coffee Guy’s New Body-Hacking Gym," 10 July 2019 If the conditions that spur cyanobacteria growth change — for instance the water cools off or the flow of nutrients stops — then the bloom can fade. — Craig Pittman, sun-sentinel.com, "5 things to know about blue-green algae. (It’s bad. And it’s getting worse.)," 10 July 2019 With the dog days of summer coming up, keep your furry friends cool with this easy recipe for dog ice cream, featuring dogs from Last Hope K9. — Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, "Woman caught on tape peeing into ice cream bucket, spitting on ice cream, police say," 10 July 2019 More delicate flavors and ingredients that could easily be leached of flavor over high heat (herbs, mainly) need a cold steep, which can be done while the base cools in the fridge or in an ice bath. — Washington Post, "How to create the ice cream of your dreams," 9 July 2019 The California Office of Emergency Services brought in cots, water and meals and set up cooling centers in the region, Director Mark Ghilarducci said. — John Rogers, Time, "California's Recent Earthquakes Are Reigniting Fears of the 'Big One'," 8 July 2019 The Greenwise bar has a rapid wine chiller which can cool three 750 ml bottles of wine at a time-- two standard and one sparkling. — Shauna Stuart | Sstuart@al.com, al.com, "This Birmingham- area Publix has a bar with wine and beer on tap," 8 July 2019 So, life had already evolved to the point of there being pretty complicated bacteria very quickly, after the Earth cooled. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "What If Life Did Not Originate on Earth?," 8 July 2019 Set a metal cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. — Karoline Boehm Goodnick, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Zucchini and corn, a favorite summer duo, turns into crisp fritters with spicy mayo," 8 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Surprise, surprise, the classiest player to grace a football field could lose his cool. — SI.com, "Anatomy of a Headbutt: OTD in 2006 Zinedine Zidane Was Sent Off in the World Cup Final," 9 July 2019 Founded by Natalie and Caleb Ebel, the collection has 50 paint colors with names that are as hip and cool as the company’s signature paint cans. — Elizabeth Mayhew, Twin Cities, "Surfboard Yellow, Gentleman’s Gray, Mizzle: How do paint companies name their hues?," 6 July 2019 Jackson also often took issues with the officiating and lost his cool more than once. — Duane Rankin, azcentral, "How Josh Jackson went from No. 4 pick by Phoenix Suns to gone in just over 2 years," 17 Mar. 2019 Vic Aguilar was the epitome of cool on the mound Monday night for St. Rita. — Patrick Z. Mcgavin, Daily Southtown, "'I am made for these big moments': Vic Aguilar pitches St. Rita back to 4A state semifinals," 4 June 2019 Transfer to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature. — Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: A hearty Father’s Day menu, starring steak," 12 June 2019 EXPRESS FORECAST Today: Cloudy and cool with scattered showers likely. — Brian Jackson, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Cooler today as scattered showers threaten through tomorrow; warmer and drier midweek," 9 June 2019 When combined with his prodigious storehouse of knowledge and his unerring buzzer timing, Holzhauer’s gambler’s cool allowed him to rack up massive totals within minutes, leaving his opponents in the dust. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Why James Holzhauer’s long ‘Jeopardy!’ winning streak lost me," 6 June 2019 Let cool in the pan; then, using overhangs, transfer to a cutting board and cut into pieces. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Blueberry-Oatmeal Blondies," 20 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

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 Set saucepan in a bowl of ice water and let cool, stirring occasionally. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, "Coconut Chia-Tapioca Pudding," 19 Mar. 2018 Let cool completely in pan before cutting into pieces. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Derby Pie Brownies," 29 Apr. 2019 Let cool completely in refrigerator, at least 20 minutes. — Kathleen Squires, WSJ, "Feed Your Head: Foods That Target Depression and Anxiety," 26 July 2018 Place the pot over a large bowl filled with ice water and let cool, stirring occasionally, until chilled, 20 to 30 minutes. — Kate Merker And Taylor Murray, Country Living, "Gingerbread Eggnog," 11 Dec. 2018 Let cool slightly to thicken, then transfer to a resealable bag and cut off one corner to make a small hole. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Eggnog Mousse Snowmen," 29 Nov. 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about cool

Dictionary Entries near cool

Statistics for cool

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for cool

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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.