chill 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of chillnext
1
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling were met with a chill gaze when they arrived home late from the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool this chill weather is making my teeth chatter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cold
having a low or subnormal temperature no one should be coatless on a chill night as this

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the house's design may be cutting-edge, but it has a chill sterility about it that is anything but homey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chill

2 of 3

noun

ˈchil How to pronounce chill (audio)
as in chilliness
an uncomfortable degree of coolness there's a chill in the air, so you'd better wear a sweater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chill

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to freeze
to cause to lose heat chill the gelatin for two hours, until it sets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to relax
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 to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of investors chilled by the floundering economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to lazy
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 chill
Adjective
Make sure to choose an apple variety suited to your climate, as apples also need a certain number of chill hours to make fruit. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 July 2026 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
Noun
But the sweeps are still casting a chill across this rural farming region that has relied heavily on immigrant labor since the 1950s. — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026 Pawlikowski’s mother and father, also named Zula and Wiktor, whose unmanageable love had kept them tangled and disentangled for decades, took their own lives in 1989, as the Cold War that had cast its chill upon their time was beginning to thaw. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
This is a tea made from passionflower—an actual flower known to chill the nerves, not the name of a bath oil your mom bought from the last Avon lady on Earth. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026 Mix in the chocolate chips and chill for at least an hour or overnight. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chill
  1. icy
  2. chilling
  3. cold
  4. dark
  5. chilliness
  6. freeze
  7. relax
  8. discourage
Adjective
  • Technology is at the heart of facials, especially, from a skin analysis machine and facial sculpting wand to a cryotherapy mask that was positively icy—but also awesome—at -4 degrees Fahrenheit.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The situation—his icy glare, the perfect framing—was a bit of stagecraft amid chaos.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • The messages were shared with Semafor on the condition that they not be quoted directly out of concern that employees would feel uncomfortable seeing their messages reproduced verbatim, potentially chilling future Slacktivism.
    — Garrison Lovely, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even before its launch, the series stirred spirited discussion from enthusiasts of the book overs Kazan’s decision to center the story’s chilling antagonist Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • The spa is set to open in mid-December and promises to have a range of treatments including massages, facials, and hot/cold therapy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Concrete is rigid, cold, and dead; land is living and breathing.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • There’s nothing about the white bedding, dark-wood furniture, and tan carpeting that will knock your socks off—but nothing that will make your toes curl, either.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino and screenwriter Simon Rich mold the material from dark humor through technocratic giddiness to sobering horror.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dark
Noun
  • Or that Penélope Cruz’s sultry chilliness would jibe with either her male counterparts or Wilde’s diary-of-a-mad-housewife interpretation of a brittle, eager-to-impress woman brimming with creative frustration.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of chilliness
Verb
  • As a result of the layoffs and mass cancellation of contracts in early 2025, millions of NIH websites have been effectively frozen for nearly 18 months.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Cuts are planned to come, in part, from freezing wages for public sector workers like teachers.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of freeze
Verb
  • The third, Surrender, is a massage performed in water, in which the buoyancy and warmth allow the body to completely relax and let go.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Because of the data center being built in his backyard, Butters’ television loses power constantly, leaving him unable to relax and watch his beloved videos.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of relax
Verb
  • In response, Cobb County police plan to increase patrols on and around the holiday and other departments are discouraging participation.
    — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The combination of higher rates and short supply discourages current homeowners from moving, especially those who locked in mortgages at affordably low interest rates.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of discourage

Phrases Containing chill

Browse Nearby Words

children
chill
chilled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chill. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All