chill

plural chills

1. countableuncountableA moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.

   There was a chill in the air.

   2 more examples

   Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.

   2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4

   A breezy winter chill is likely for MLK Weekend across the Southeast. […] A steady northwest breeze will keep wind chills in the teens and single digits for the remainder of your weekend.

   2021 January 16, Derek Van Dam, “Northeast will be wet and chilly while Southern California should sizzle during holiday weekend”, in CNN

2. countableuncountableA sudden penetrating sense of cold, especially one that causes a brief trembling nerve response through the body; the trembling response itself; often associated with illness: fevers and chills, or susceptibility to illness.

   I felt a chill when the wind picked up.

   1 more example

   Close the window or you'll catch a chill.

3. countableuncountableAn uncomfortable and numbing sense of fear, dread, anxiety, or alarm, often one that is sudden and usually accompanied by a trembling nerve response resembling the body's response to biting cold.

   His menacing presence cast a chill over everyone.

   2 more examples

   Despite the heat, he felt a chill as he entered the crime scene.

   The actor's eerie portrayal sent chills through the audience.

4. countableuncountableAn iron mould or portion of a mould, serving to cool rapidly, and so to harden, the surface of molten iron brought in contact with it.
5. countableuncountableThe hardened part of a casting, such as the tread of a carriage wheel.
6. countableuncountableA lack of warmth and cordiality; unfriendliness.

   His eyes are cold, and the chill between us twists in the pit of my stomach.

   2014, Tammara Webber, Between the Lines, →ISBN

   1 more example

   However, the chill between the two giants did not last long; every constituency except the Westernizers found virtue in warming up to China.

   1998, Ilya Prizel, National Identity and Foreign Policy, →ISBN

7. countableuncountableCalmness; equanimity.

   Granted, Tyrese put himself out there by even posting the video, knowing the internet has no chill.

   2017 November 5, Tanay Hudson, “Tyrese’s Meltdown Is Not A Laughing Matter”, in Madame Noire

   3 more examples

   For those of us who relate to that furious paddling in some form (whether we choose to conceal it below the surface or not), we are probably also aware of what, besides the water, we are really clashing against: a culture of chill.

   2017 October 12, Rebecca Okin, “Okin ’19: Chill culture isn’t cool”, in The Brown Daily Herald

   A heated, in-door pool flanked by sumptuous daybeds where dark-slated walls, fiber-optic mood lighting, underwater sound system, and soothing waterfall deliver serious chill.

   2017 October 19, Stephanie Orma, “Why This Chic Milan Hotel Is the Ultimate Design Lover's Escape”, in Forbes

   From the very start of the interview, Lawrence's manic energy proved that she had absolutely no chill.

   2017 November 3, Libby Hill, “Jennifer Lawrence gets weird in delightful interview with Kim Kardahian West”, in Los Angeles Times

8. countableuncountableA sense of style; trendiness; savoir faire.

   “Las Vegas has glitz, but Palm Springs has chill,” Stone said.

   2017 October 26, Brian Blueskye, “The Palm Springs City Council Candidate Interview: Robert Julian Stone”, in Coachella Valley Independent

   2 more examples

   Will and Grace still have no chill; having a pillow fight in the Oval Office proves that.

   2017 November 1, Araceli Aviles, “Will & Grace Series (Re)Premiere Review: Same Characters, Different World”, in TV Overmind

   Angelina left Brad, which upsets me because I'm human," said Corden, adding that Netflix had chill, but the FBI had "zero chill."

   2016 December 16, “James Corden Recaps 2016 With Comedy, Then Makes Somber Plea for Aleppo's Children”, in Hollywood Reporter

9. countableuncountableA chilling effect; an atmosphere of this.

   It was a courageous move by these activists, still living in the chill of the Cold War, to face red-baiting for holding protests that turned Washington's charges against the Cuban Revolution back on the U.S. government.

   2006 April 1, Leslie Feinberg, “Mid-1960s gay activists tarrget U.S. gov't”, in Workers World

comparative more chill · superlative most chill

1. Moderately cold or chilly.

   A chill wind was blowing down the street.

   1 more example

   Noisome winds, and blasting vapours chill.

   1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC

2. Unwelcoming; not cordial.

   Arriving late at the wedding, we were met with a chill reception.

3. slangCalm, relaxed, easygoing.

   The teacher is really chill and doesn't care if you use your phone during class.

   2 more examples

   Paint-your-own ceramics studios are a chill way to express yourself while learning more about your date's right brain.

   “I might put it on if someone’s asking me a question I don’t want to answer. It’s like playing the character of an obnoxious, but chill, girl.”

   2023 May 15, Alaina Demopoulos, “Why are so many young Americans adopting fake British accents?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms: laid-back, unconcerned, airy, at ease, at peace, carefree, careless, casual

4. slang"Cool"; meeting a certain hip standard or garnering the approval of a certain peer group.

   That new movie was chill, man.

   Synonyms: cool

5. slangOkay, not a problem.

   Sorry about that. —It's chill.

present singular third person chills · participle present chilling · participle past chilled · past chilled

1. transitiveTo lower the temperature of something; to cool.

   Chill before serving.

2. intransitiveTo become cold.

   In the wind he chilled quickly.

3. transitiveengineeringTo harden a metal surface by sudden cooling.
4. intransitiveengineeringTo become hard by rapid cooling.
5. intransitiveslangTo relax; to lie back; to take things easy.

   The new gym teacher really has to chill or he's gonna blow a gasket.

   2 more examples

   Chill, man, we've got a whole week to do it; no sense in getting worked up.

   A time to live and a time to die / A time to break and a time to chill / To act civilized or act real ill

   1979, “Rapper's Delight”, performed by Sugarhill Gang

6. intransitiveslangTo "hang", hang out; to spend time with another person or group.

   Hey, we should chill this weekend.

   1 more example

   He likes to chill with his friends on Saturdays.

   Synonyms: chill out

7. intransitiveslangTo smoke marijuana.

   On Friday night do you wanna chill?

8. figurativelytransitiveTo discourage, depress.

   Censorship chills public discourse.

alternative ch'ill · alternative 'chill

1. West CountrycontractionobsoleteI will

   Chill not let go, zir, without vurther 'casion

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, King Lear, act 4, scene 6, line 226; republished as The Tragedy of King Lear, Cambridge University Press, 2005, →ISBN, page 232

   1 more example

   Yet since their eyes make hart so sore, hey ho, chill love no more.

   1588, anon. or William Byrd, Though Amaryllis Daunce in Greene

   Synonyms: I'll

plural chills

1. CornwallobsoleteA kind of lamp that burns fish oil.

   There is a last antiquity, and perhaps not least interesting, in "the Chill" or fish oil lamp, peculiar to Cornwall and a remote age, which now I lay before you. These lamps are rarely, very rarely seen, never in use, and passing from the memories of all but the very aged.

   1877, The Journal of the British Archaeological Association, page 193

1. abbreviationacronymcomputingAcronym of CCITT High Level Language.

plural Chills

1. A surname.