bone-chilling

adjective

ˈbōn-ˌchi-liŋ How to pronounce bone-chilling (audio)
Definition of bone-chillingnext
as in frigid
having a low or subnormal temperature we stood in line for hours in the bone-chilling weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bone-chilling During the last week of January, an arctic blast hit Texas, bringing ice and bone-chilling temperatures. — Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026 Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate). — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026 Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026 The Best Actor category, in particular, has honored a wide variety of performance types, from bone-chilling turns like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) to heroic tributes to human decency like Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). — Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bone-chilling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bone-chilling
  1. frigid
  2. icy
  3. cold
  4. chilly
  5. freezing
  6. chill
  7. cool
Adjective
  • But experts say the optimal temperatures are far from frigid.
    — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • But that’s not how exhaustion typically works during a seventeen-hour climb in frigid weather.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of frigid
Adjective
  • Multiple moons in the outer solar system — Saturn's Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa, for example — host big liquid-water oceans beneath their icy shells.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • From aqua suede to icy satin, from stilettos to ballet flats and beach-ready sandals, whatever your bridal style calls, for there’s a pair of blue shoes to match.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 2 July 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • Next to him, the waters of Lincoln’s Sinking Spring still ran cold.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • If time doesn’t allow for spa treatments, a morning swim in the indoor pool accompanied by a sauna and cold plunge in one of their two thermal suites might suffice.
    — Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Flemings, like Peterson a one-and-done player in college, had 14 points on chilly 4-of-16 shooting.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026
  • Then the movie ended, and someone flicked the lights, and people wiped their faces and checked their apps and the door opened for a chilly evening breeze.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of chilly
Adjective
  • If freezing temperatures are predicted, pick any ripe fruit and cover the trunks of young trees with burlap or newspaper to insulate them.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 July 2026
  • The injured climber couldn’t continue, forcing the pair to spend a freezing night on the mountain with limited supplies.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of freezing
Adjective
  • The 25, also non-chill filtered, is bottled at 47 percent ABV (94 proof), and that higher proof goes a long way to unlocking the flavor here.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 June 2026
  • It was bottled at 43% ABV and is non-chill filtered.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of chill
Adjective
  • The fabric feels cool against my skin and never sticks or clings, even on warmer nights.
    — Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • Of course, when training in heat and humidity, staying hydrated is critical as well as attempts to stay as cool as possible when training during hot temperatures.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of cool

Browse Nearby Words

bone
bone-chilling
boned
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Cite this Entry

“Bone-chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bone-chilling. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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