bone-chilling

adjective

bone-chill·​ing ˈbōn-ˌchi-liŋ 

: intensely cold

bone-chilling weather

also : penetrating, disturbing, or intense in emotional or physical effect

bone-chilling drama

a bone-chilling wind

Synonyms

• algid
• arctic
• bitter
• chill
• chilly
• cold
• coldish
• cool
• coolish
• freezing
• frigid
• frosty
• gelid
• glacial
• ice-cold
• icy
• nipping
• nippy
• numbing
• polar
• shivery
• snappy
• wintry
• wintery

Examples of bone-chilling in a Sentence

we stood in line for hours in the bone-chilling weather

Recent Examples on the Web

The crisp air also prompts the chance to spotlight stylish fall jackets in your everyday style before temps drop to bone-chilling degrees (puffer jacket season will be here in no time, after all). —Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024

Multiple surprise transformations, from hitting the books in study howl or brewing some fun in the potion corner, there are so many scary ways to have bone-chilling adventures. —Toby Rose, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024

And whether its embedding bone-chilling, teeth-baring looks or not into its spooky sequences, Smile 2 spends a lot of time mining horror out of the old-fashioned music-industry apparatus. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024

Hacks will be back following a bone-chilling season 3 finale — and a slew of Emmy awards at the September 2024 ceremony. —Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above