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 pluralWilkie CollinsIf 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
Linda SearingOver 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
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 Katherine Scott Crawford 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
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
Tamekia Reece2
: 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
Katherine Creag and Jennifer Millman
sometimes chiller; sometimes chillest
2
: affected by cold
chill travelers
4
: depressing, dispiriting
chill penury—Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray5
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
Emma PearseWe'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
Erin Burnett
chillness
noun
chilled; chilling; chills
1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become taken with a chill
3
a
b
Synonyms
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
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
So take a deep breath with me, count to 10 and check out these different ways to keep your chill while the world seemingly falls apart.
—Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
There’s an effortlessness to her collections that just feel really chill and easy.
—Emily Mercer, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
Lowen accepts the gig but uncovers dark secrets in the process — including an unfinished manuscript that hints at chilling admissions about Verity and her family’s past — leaving Lowen to determine if Verity is a gifted fictionist or deranged psychopath.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chill 
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Noun
Some people can just watch election results roll in and chill.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
So take a deep breath with me, count to 10 and check out these different ways to keep your chill while the world seemingly falls apart.
—Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Emil Wakim’s pilot, who’s wearing AirPods, is delightfully chill about not knowing how to fly a plane.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
There’s an effortlessness to her collections that just feel really chill and easy.
—Emily Mercer, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Hathaway will play the reclusive titular Verity, whose latest unfinished manuscript includes chilling admissions about Verity and her family’s past.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
Lowen accepts the gig but uncovers dark secrets in the process — including an unfinished manuscript that hints at chilling admissions about Verity and her family’s past — leaving Lowen to determine if Verity is a gifted fictionist or deranged psychopath.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chill
Articles Related to chill
Dictionary Entries Near chill
Cite this Entry
“Chill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chill. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chill
1 of 3 noun1
: a feeling of cold accompanied by shivering
chills and fever
2
: a strong sensation of shivering especially from an emotion (as fear)
—often used in plural
gave me chills
3
: a moderate but unpleasant amount of cold
there was a chill in the air
chill
3 of 3 verb1
: 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
5
: to spend time relaxing or socializing
chiller
noun
Medical Definition
chill
1 of 2 noun1
: a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering
2
: a disagreeable sensation of coldness
chill
2 of 2 intransitive verb1
a
: to become cold
b
: to shiver or quake with or as if with cold
2
: to become affected with a chill
: 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 expression—M. H. Redish
M. H. RedishLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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