chilly

adjective

ˈchi-lē How to pronounce chilly (audio)
Definition of chillynext
1
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool those chilly nights when a warm fire can be especially comforting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling a chilly glare directed at the person who tried to go to the head of the line

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cold
having a low or subnormal temperature a chilly spring morning

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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 chilly Attend a Peaceful Concert in a Historic Church What’s the antidote for the approaching dark, chilly days? — Allison Yates, Midwest Living, 3 Nov. 2026 For fruiting, keep the tree in a basement or another area of the house that’s a little chillier—but not freezing. — Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 3 Nov. 2026 The trio honed an aesthetic distinct from neighboring Chicago’s emerging style of house music, stripping out vintage soul for chillier, futuristic productions. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026 My airplane layer has to do more than get me through a chilly flight. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chilly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chilly
  1. chilling
  2. icy
  3. cold
  4. chill
  5. frigid
  6. freezing
  7. bleak
  8. cool
Adjective
  • Other chilling video clips taken from the scene show a black sedan racing through the square.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
  • For the girl’s father, the unwavering stare was a chilling departure from the last time the two men crossed paths.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • The most extreme is the outdoor pool with Lucerne’s lake water (untreated), a truly icy experience undertaken naked.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Billions of small rocky, icy bodies orbit the Sun out past Neptune.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • After starting in the middle of the night, candidates get about four hours of sleep over the next five days and complete tasks like carrying logs, launching boats into crashing waves, lying in cold ocean water and running around 200 miles.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Doing so before the plant is fully dormant can encourage new growth, which will be vulnerable to cold damage when cooler weather arrives.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of cold
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
Adjective
  • Team them with your favorite heeled booties and dressy blouse for a night out, or keep them cozy with a sweater and Uggs on a frigid day.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The flexible modules survived thermal shock cycles from frigid lows to extreme heat and passed the rigorous IEC 63163 international stability standard.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of frigid
Adjective
  • Despite the freezing temperatures, agents confiscated the migrants’ coats and refused to give them blankets.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The beautiful, bright, and incredibly chic three-story abode leads up to a private roof terrace covered in pines with a freezing plunge pool at its center, and an unassuming wooden door that leads to a private sauna.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of freezing
Adjective
  • His isolated existence is bleak, especially for such a bighearted person naturally inclined to love others.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But in a bleak indicator of the current political climate, the bait was inflammatory content about Muslims.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Cardboard boxes and paper bags of food items being stored directly on floor of walk-in cooler and dry storage area.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Using tongs, immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let cool.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of cool

Browse Nearby Words

chills out
chilly
chime
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Cite this Entry

“Chilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chilly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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