chilling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈchi-liŋ How to pronounce chilling (audio)
Definition of chillingnext
as in chilly
uncomfortably cool a Southern visitor who was unused to the chilling air of a Northeast winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chilling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of chill
1
as in freezing
to cause to lose heat chill the gelatin for two hours, until it sets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relaxing
to get rid of nervous tension or anxiety you want to hang out with us and just chill this weekend?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of investors chilled by the floundering economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lounging
to spend time doing nothing instead of going out tonight, let's stay in and chill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 chilling
Adjective
Arresting people who question local government creates a chilling effect that can reach far beyond one small town. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Travis Barker is looking back on a chilling premonition his daughter Alabama seemed to have about his 2008 plane crash. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
Long-term mortgage rates have already hit their highest level in nearly a year, chilling the housing industry. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026 Key steps include cooling the chocolate mixture, dropping the pan mid-bake to release air, and chilling the brownies. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chilling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chilling
  1. chilly
  2. freezing
  3. relaxing
  4. discouraging
  5. lounging
  6. chill
  7. cooling
  8. frustrating
Adjective
  • Jackson had a prime seat at Davis’ A&R meetings, which were notoriously chilly, loud, and, yes, long.
    — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Hiddenseer Winterbock — World’s Best Bock Germany’s Hiddenseer snagged the World’s Best Bock title with Winterbock, a rich, strong lager tailor-made for chilly nights.
    — Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of chilly
Verb
  • Last year the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) began offering rankings protection if players decide to undergo an egg or embryo freezing procedure.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
  • While the district took a series of cost-cutting steps — including freezing spending on supplies, hiring and most new contracts, as well as laying off employees — successive budget updates showed the financial hole continuing to deepen.
    — Chaewon Chung August 16, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of freezing
Verb
  • Pair your time in the pool with relaxing massages and facials, the former with organic oils scented with herbs and flowers from the island, and the latter with products from Rowse, the natural and cruelty-free cosmetics brand.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Gliding swings use a gentle gliding motion for relaxing your baby.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of relaxing
Verb
  • For some, these new measures promise to weed out AI use in the classroom, whether by discouraging students from relying on LLMs or equipping professors with a foolproof method of identifying its use.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Some researchers also wondered whether therapeutic ideas about trauma and family dynamics could play a role in discouraging liberals from having kids.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • With a sizable beam of 45 feet, Whisper offers ample space for both lounging and entertaining across five decks.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In an Instagram carousel posted on Saturday, May 15, the actress, 53, shared a sweet snap of herself and her lookalike daughter, 22, lounging in coordinating swimsuits.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lounging
Adjective
  • Judd’s furniture asks you to admire it; Heilmann’s asks you to sit down and chill.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Older age statements, barrel-strength bottlings, non-chill filtration, single barrels, micro-batches and distinctive packaging led to sustained success in export markets like Japan and Europe.
    — Chris Perugini, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of chill
Verb
  • After a thorough cleanse and gua sha to encourage lymphatic drainage, Galina smooths on a cooling mask and leaves it to work its magic while turning her attention to my scalp.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That includes computing hardware, electrical infrastructure, cooling systems and the physical facility itself.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of cooling
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating

Browse Nearby Words

chilliness
chilling
chilling out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chilling. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on chilling

Nglish: Translation of chilling for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chilling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All