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

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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

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

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

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

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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
Wrap each disk in 2 layers of plastic and freeze instead of chilling. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026 This is true of the remake as well, but LaBute’s changes to Cage’s character, and his addition of a personal connection to the island, add a chilling dimension the original lacks. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
Let sit at least 10 minutes or cover and chill up to 8 hours (no need to bring to room temperature before cooking if chilling). — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026 But Beth Wilkinson, who represented the network at last week’s hearing, warned that such a delay has the effect of chilling the network’s speech. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 Oct. 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
  • Also, our year-round birds — cardinals, blue jays, titmice, Carolina chickadees, bluebirds, mockingbirds, Carolina wrens, woodpeckers and others — will be around all winter and add color and cheer on drab, chilly days.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Saturday morning got off to a chilly start across North Texas, with low temperatures dipping into the 40s for most locations.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of chilly
Verb
  • And when mean girls at school like Nikki Glazer’s Priscilla start freezing them out, Cinderella doesn’t do enough to stand up for them.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Saturday looks chilly with highs in the mid 40s, with breezy conditions keeping feels-like temperatures near freezing all day.
    — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of freezing
Verb
  • The rooftop pool, complete with the aforementioned views, is perfect for relaxing after a busy day on your feet.
    — Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026
  • What to do nearby Just around 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, Château Élan is a great place for locals looking for a kid-friendly staycation or those who want to spend some time relaxing outside of the city.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of relaxing
Verb
  • Wong’s convictions seen as discouraging dissent Hong Kong once had a freewheeling civil society.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Those harms are alleged to include exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, targeting people’s fears and discouraging them from voting.
    — Emma L. Briant, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • There are also three on-site dipping pools ranging in temperature, perfect for lounging about and taking in the sights of the nearby Looking Glass Arch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
  • On October 12, however, the model took to Instagram to share photos of herself lounging in a white robe at a spa with a huge diamond ring on her left ring finger, adding fuel to the ongoing internet frenzy.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of lounging
Adjective
  • According to the team, Paul exhibits the patience and nonchalance of The Dude, an extremely chill character from the 1998 film The Big Lebowski.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The group’s trademark sense of space, room for the sax, Sandman’s voice, and ear candy like acoustic guitar, echoey cymbals, and distant piano, and their uniquely chill sense of melody take cente rstage on the song.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of chill
Verb
  • Google said the Wyoming facility will use air cooling to reduce pressure on local water resources, rather than relying on water-intensive cooling systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • So building an eight-cylinder version, complete with the associated challenges of packaging, cooling and exhaust tuning, is quite the undertaking.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chilling. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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