cold

comparative colder · superlative coldest

1. Having a low temperature.

   A cold wind whistled through the trees.

   3 more examples

   As cold waters to a thirstie soule: so is good newes from a farre countrey.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 25:25

   Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion!

   1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Four. The Last of the Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 137

   I had always supposed that playboys didn't give a hoot for anything except blondes and cold bottles.

   1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter V, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

   Synonyms: chilled, chilly, freezing, frigid, glacial, icy, cool · Antonyms: baking, boiling, heated, hot, scorching, searing, torrid, warm

2. Causing the air to be cold.

   The forecast is that it will be very cold today.

   3 more examples

   As fruits of hotter countries, transearthed in colder climates, have vigour enough in themselves to be fructuous according to their nature: but, that they are hindered by the chilling nips of the air, and the soil, wherein they are planted.

   1904, Owen Felltham, William Henry Oliphant Smeaton, Resolves

   Antarctica is the coldest, iciest place on Earth, which makes the recent warming event particularly worrying for many scientists. […] Larter said this happens less frequently in the East Antarctic because the ocean water there is much colder.

   2022 March 25, Rachel Ramirez and Hafsa Khalil, “Antarctic ice shelf nearly the size of Los Angeles collapsed as temperatures soared to 40 above normal”, in CNN

   The current high temperature expected for Kansas City on Saturday is around 5 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, which would be the coldest high temperature on record in the area for the date, according to CNN Weather. […] But could it become cold enough for officials to cancel the showdown between the Chiefs and Dolphins?

   2024 January 13, Ashley R. Williams, “NFL moves Pittsburgh at Buffalo playoff game to Monday due to winter storm, Miami at Kansas City is still on for tonight”, in CNN

   Synonyms: brass monkeys, nippy, parky, taters · Antonyms: hot, hot, calid, choleric, heated

3. Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.

   She was so cold she was shivering.

   Antonyms: hot, hot, calid, choleric, heated

4. Unfriendly; emotionally distant or unfeeling.

   She shot me a cold glance before turning her back.

   2 more examples

   At the end of a week, she could bear the suspense no longer, and so went humbly to her old home and sought forgiveness. She was not repulsed, but her reception was cold; and this hurt her almost as badly.

   1850, T. S. Arthur, “Happy on a Little”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 89

   "Suppose someone pops in?" "Don't be silly. Mrs Cream is working on her book. Phyllis is in her room, typing Upjohn's speech. Wilbert's gone for a walk. Upjohn isn't here. The only character who could pop in would be the Brinkley Court ghost. If it does, give it a cold look and walk through it. That'll teach it not to come butting in where it isn't wanted, ha ha."

   1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

   Synonyms: aloof, distant, hostile, standoffish, unfriendly, unwelcoming, aloof, cool · Antonyms: amiable, friendly, welcoming

5. Chilled, filled with an uncomfortable sense of fear, dread, or alarm.

   Yet oft when sundown skirts the moor ⁠An inner trouble I behold, ⁠A spectral doubt which makes me cold, That I shall be thy mate no more, […]

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XL”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 63

   Synonyms: apprehensive

6. Dispassionate; not prejudiced or partisan; impartial.

   Let's look at this tomorrow with a cold head.

   2 more examples

   He's a nice guy, but the cold facts say we should fire him.

   The cold truth is that states rarely undertake military action unless their national interests are at stake.

   Synonyms: disinterested, indifferent, candid, clinical, detached, egal, equal, equitable

7. Completely unprepared; without introduction.

   He was assigned cold calls for the first three months.

   1 more example

   The one thing considered the brass ring in selling insurance was making a sale on a cold canvass. Cold canvassing was the most dreaded exercise for most insurance salesmen.

   2019, Kelly D. Harrison, Air Force Cop: An Autobiography, page 100

   Synonyms: unprepared, unready · Antonyms: prepared, primed, ready

8. Unconscious or deeply asleep; deprived of the metaphorical heat associated with life or consciousness.

   I knocked him out cold.

   2 more examples

   After one more beer he passed out cold.

   Before Mr Big could utter another word, Dad’s false leg crashed down through the window… …and the wooden foot bashed Mr Big hard on the head. The crime boss collapsed to the floor, out cold.

   2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN

9. usuallyPerfectly, exactly, completely; by heart; down pat.

   Rehearse your lines until you have them down cold.

   3 more examples

   Practice your music scales until you know them cold.

   Try both these maneuvers until you have them cold and can do them in the dark without thinking.

   Keep that list in front of you, or memorize it cold.

10. usuallyCornered; done for.

    With that receipt, we have them cold for fraud.

    2 more examples

    Criminal interrogation. Initially they will dream up explanations faster than you could ever do so, but when they become fatigued, often they will acknowledge that you have them cold.

    "Either Upjohn agrees to drop that libel suit or he doesn't get these notes, as he calls them, and without them he won't be able to utter a word. He'll have to come across with the price of the papers. Won't he, Jeeves?" "He would appear to have no alternative, miss." "Unless he wants to get up on that platform and stand there opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish. We've got him cold."

    1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

11. slangCool, impressive.

    Lowkey she so cold for that

    2023 August 3, @67x4L, Twitter, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2023

    2 more examples

    There were more than a few unforgettable moments from Sunday's Game 7 showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. Steph Curry came up with an epic performance on a record-setting evening, and he also produced one of the coldest photos of the NBA Playoffs thus far.

    2023 May 1, Paolo Songco, “Warriors star Steph Curry's cold 'night night' pic vs. Kings goes completely viral”, in ClutchPoints, archived from the original on 30 May 2023

    Indians see this fit and think it's the coldest thing ever

    2023 August 6, @SUPERTHYROID, Twitter, archived from the original on 08 Nov 2023

12. obsoleteNot pungent or acrid.

    cold plants

    1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

    Synonyms: mild, neutral

13. obsoleteUnexciting; dull; uninteresting.

    The jest grows cold[…]when it comes on in a second scene.

    1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

    1 more example

    What a deal of cold business doth a man misspend the better part of life in!

    1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter

    Synonyms: colourless, lifeless, banal, basic, mindless, beat, blah, commonplace

14. Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.

    a cold scent

15. obsoleteNot sensitive; not acute.

    Smell this business with a sense as cold / As is a dead man's nose.

    c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

16. Distant; said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed. Compare warm and hot.

    You're cold … getting warmer … hot! You've found it!

17. paintingHaving a bluish effect; not warm in colour.

    Synonyms: bluey, bluish, caesious, cerulescent

18. computingRarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.
19. informalWithout compassion; heartless; ruthless.

    I can't believe she said that...that was cold!

    2 more examples

    River Song: (upon seeing the still-living Doctor, moments after he made her and two other friends watch what they thought was his death) This is cold. Even by your standards, this is cold.

    2011 April 23, The Impossible Astronaut (Doctor Who), season series 6, episode 1

    "At the risk of sounding cold though, I'm glad he's gone. His abandonment left me in Aunt Fara's custody, and that's honestly the best thing he's ever done for me."

    2015, Jocelyn Samara D., Rain, volume 3, page 237

    Synonyms: cold-eyed, frosty, icy, uncompassionate, brutal, callous, insensate, hardhanded

20. informalNot radioactive.First known use the 20ᵗʰc.

    "That's right," Jackson said. "The Old Man will be pleased to welcome you." There was eagerness in his reedy voice. "What do you say? We'll take care of you. Feed you, bring you cold plants and animals. For a week maybe?"

    1953, Philip K. Dick, “Planet for Transients”, in Fantastic Universe magazine, number Oct-Nov 1953, page 64

    Antonyms: hot, radioactive

21. engineeringNot loaded with a round of live ammunition.
22. Without electrical power being supplied.

    Therefore, to avoid unnecessary delay in the trouble-shooting procedure, it is good practice to make a resistance check on a "cold" circuit (before applying power), to determine whether resistance values are normal.

    1956, Philco Corporation, Handbook of Test Methods and Practices, page 3–3

    Synonyms: dead

plural colds

1. uncountableA condition of low temperature.

   Come in, out of the cold.

   Synonyms: coldness

2. countablefigurativelyuncountableA harsh place; a place of abandonment.

   The former politician was left out in the cold after his friends deserted him.

3. countablemedicineA common, usually harmless, usually viral illness, usually with congestion of the nasal passages and sometimes fever.

   I caught a miserable cold and had to stay home for a week

   1 more example

   Dr. Jon S. Abramson, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Wake Forest Medical School, has found no medical evidence to support feeding a cold and starving a fever. He is particularly offended by the latter part of the phrase. […] “Always feed both colds and fevers,” Abramson said.

   2016 September 16, Hailey Middlebrook, “Should you really feed a cold and starve a fever?”, in CNN

4. slanguncountableRheum; sleepy dust.

   But I remember this, moms would lick her finger tips / to wipe the cold out my eye before school with her spit

   1996, Ghostface Killah, All That I Got Is You

   1 more example

   Who the fuck is this, pagin' me at 5:46 in the morning? / crack of dawn and now I'm yawnin' / wipe the cold out my eye, see who's this pagin' me and why

   1994, Notorious B.I.G., Warning

comparative more cold · superlative most cold

1. At a low temperature.

   The steel was processed cold.

2. Without preparation.

   The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic.

   1 more example

   Two weeks after it closed, he started rehearsals for Cheer Up, a new play by Mary Roberts Rinehart booked into the Harris Theatre. It was to open cold without any out-of-town tryout under the direction of a young Cecil B. DeMille […]

   2008, Geddeth Smith, Walter Hampden: Dean of the American Theatre, page 104

3. datedinformalslangIn a cold, frank, or realistically honest manner.

   Now Little Bo Peep cold lost her sheep / And Rip van Winkle fell the hell asleep

   1986, Run-DMC, Peter Piper.

1. abbreviationacronymuncountablecomputingAcronym of computer output to laser disc.