chill

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering (as due to illness)
He had caught a chill that night, and was now down with a fever.Wilkie Collins
usually plural
If you have a cough, fever and chills and are not breathing as easily as usual, you might have a cold or the flu.Linda Searing
Over the next few days, my body followed up with a series of messages: you have a sore throat; you have a fever; you have the chills.John Herrman
b
: an intense shivery sensation : shiver, shudder
especially : one caused by a strong emotion (such as fear)
Do you like a good scare? The sort of story, or moment, that sends a chill down your spine and makes the hair on your arms stand up like porcupine quills? Katherine Scott Crawford
often plural
a song so beautiful it gives me chills
… this is where [Stephen] King shines, creating those aforementioned creepy scenes that gave me the chills. Katherine Whitt
c
: a disagreeable sensation of coldness
When you venture outside on a cold day, chances are you feel the biggest chill in your fingers.Tamekia Reece
2
: a moderate but disagreeable degree of cold
a chill in the air
3
: a check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling
And a chill fell over the service as mourners … carried a casket draped in white to the altar.Katherine Creag and Jennifer Millman

chill

2 of 3

adjective

sometimes chiller; sometimes chillest
1
a
: moderately cold
b
: cold, raw
2
: affected by cold
chill travelers
3
: distant, formal
a chill reception
4
: depressing, dispiriting
chill penuryThomas Gray
5
informal : having a laid-back style or easy demeanor
She looked just like Joey Potter … Really young and super chill. No one was paying any attention. It was a laid-back situation.Emma Pearse
We're very casual. I love how at City Hall people come in everything from wedding gowns to jeans. It's so mellow and chill, just how we like it.Erin Burnett
chillness noun

chill

3 of 3

verb

chilled; chilling; chills

intransitive verb

1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become taken with a chill
3

transitive verb

1
a
: to make cold or chilly
chilled by a cold wind
b
: to make cool especially without freezing
chill the wine
2
: to affect as if with cold : dispirit

Examples of chill in a Sentence

Noun There was a chill in the autumn air. He closed the windows to keep out the chill. Her symptoms include chills and a fever. He caught a chill that turned into a bad cold. The novel's final scene gave him the chills. Her words sent chills down my spine. Adjective The chill weather kept us indoors. were met with a chill gaze when they arrived home late from the party Verb Chill the dessert for one hour before serving it. Let the dessert chill for one hour before serving it. Here's a ghost story that will chill you. Her screams chilled me to the bone. a horrible sight that chilled my bones He thinks his parents are way too uptight and says they should just chill. I decided to stay home and chill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Competitive Scrabble players are embracing the additions with the exception of some that can’t be found in standard dictionaries Some people play Scrabble to have fun, catch up with family or friends, chill. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 The diplomatic chill has left Israel’s Embassy and Consulate in the Emirates as its only fully functioning diplomatic mission in the Arab world. Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The Chiefs-Dolphins game was the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, with the temperature at kickoff reported at -4 degrees with a wind chill of -27. Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 For anyone who remembers the Cold War era, the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, along with threats of using nuclear weapons, may send a chill down your spine. Sarah Cottrell, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 While 100 degrees has been the hottest temperature ever recorded for March in Phoenix, 82 is still 7 degrees above normal and may look pretty good to parts of the country experiencing a bit of a chill. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 This easy egg recipe is perfect for mornings with a little chill in the air. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 Statewide wind chill advisories warn of 20 to 30 mph wind gusts through Monday. Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Dial and his colleagues focused on October, when that ice remains low before the winter chill, but air temperatures regularly drop below freezing. Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Calistoga Even with a Four Seasons resort, Calistoga is still the chillest small town in Napa Valley. Megan Wood, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2024 Still, there are no hard feelings because this is the chillest WTA ever. EW.com, 9 Nov. 2023 Lounging on a couch before the interview starts, his demeanor is as chill as his beaming platinum grill looks. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2023 The lyrics talk about some hot action that is due to go down between the two, but the music, however, high-energy, feels deeply chill. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 July 2023 And each interaction is, for them, a strange negotiation between wanting to be safe and the almost equally powerful desire to be cool, to be chill, to not be a drag. Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023 The most popular breed for the outgoing and energetic Aries is the decidedly chill American Bulldog. Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 2 Sep. 2023 The wrap tie shows off your waist, while the tiered hem and keeps things chill. Anna Vognsen, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2023 His latest mixtape, Glad, is probably his chillest since 2020’s Garden, mostly because a large chunk of it features the soothing keyboard riffs of producer Dylvinci. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 23 Aug. 2023
Verb
And yes: Seeing a recognizable USA in tatters and ruins, not to mention a tank menacingly loitering on Park Avenue, will indeed chill you to the bone. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 How to pour the perfect Guinness from a can at home Let the can chill for at least 24 hours before serving. The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2024 This metal pan has two jobs, and two jobs alone: baking my mother’s chicken casserole and setting and chilling her four-layer surprise for dessert. Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Be sure to chill the dough for at least 2 hours first. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Every night, 30 to 40 tons of pure water are chilled, blown into the freezing environment and crystallize into snow. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled and cloudy. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Banks like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America are opening up programs once reserved for women and minorities to a broader pool of applicants as legal threats chill DEI efforts on Wall Street. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chile chill, frost, from Old English ciele; akin to Old English ceald cold

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chill was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chill

Cite this Entry

“Chill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chill. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chill

1 of 3 noun
1
: a feeling of cold accompanied by shivering
chills and fever
2
: a moderate but unpleasant amount of cold
there was a chill in the air

chill

2 of 3 adjective
1
: unpleasantly cold : raw
nights grew chill
2
: not friendly
a chill greeting
chillness noun

chill

3 of 3 verb
1
: to make or become cold or chilly
2
: to cool without freezing
chill the pudding for dessert
3
: to affect as if with cold
we were chilled by the ghost story
4
chiller noun

Medical Definition

chill

1 of 2 noun
1
: a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering
2
: a disagreeable sensation of coldness

chill

2 of 2 intransitive verb
1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become affected with a chill

transitive verb

: to make cold or chilly

Legal Definition

chill

transitive verb
: to discourage especially through fear of penalty : have a chilling effect on
statutes which may chill the exercise of…free expressionM. H. Redish

More from Merriam-Webster on chill

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