cold

1 of 3

adjective

ˈkōld 

1

a

: having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans

it is cold outside today

a cold drafty attic

b

: having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected

the bath water has gotten cold

c

: not heated: such as

(1)

of food : served without heating especially after initial cooking or processing

cold cereal

cold roast beef

(2)

: served chilled or with ice

a cold drink

(3)

: involving processing without the use of heat

cold working of steel

2

a

: marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion

a cold stare

got a cold reception

also : not moved to enthusiasm

the movie leaves me cold

b

: not colored or affected by personal feeling or bias : detached, indifferent

cold chronicles recorded by an outsider

—Andrew Sarris

also : impersonal, objective

cold facts

cold reality

c

: marked by sure familiarity : pat

had her lines cold weeks before opening night

3

: conveying the impression of being cold: such as

a

: depressing, gloomy

cold gray skies

b

: cool sense 6a

4

a

: marked by the loss of normal body heat

cold hands

especially : dead

… she lay cold and still—she was gone …

—Upton Sinclair

b

: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious

passed out cold

5

a

: having lost freshness or vividness : stale

dogs trying to pick up a cold scent

b

: far off the mark : not close to finding or solving

—used especially in children's games

c

: marked by poor or unlucky performance

the team's shooting turned cold in the second half

d

: not prepared or suitably warmed up

The player's sub entered the game cold.

coldish

ˈkōld-ish 

adjective

coldly

ˈkōl(d)-lē 

adverb

coldness

ˈkōl(d)-nəs 

noun

cold

2 of 3

noun

1

: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat

they died of the cold

2

: a condition of low temperature

extremes of heat and cold

especially : cold weather

He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.

3

: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling

specifically : common cold

She came down with a cold.

cold

3 of 3

adverb

1

: with utter finality : absolutely, completely

turned down cold

also : abruptly

stopped them cold

2

a

: without introduction or advance notice

walked in cold to apply for a job

b

: without preparation or warm-up

was asked to perform the solo cold

Phrases

in cold blood

: with premeditation : deliberately

was killed in cold blood

out in the cold

: deprived of benefits given others

the plan benefits management but leaves labor out in the cold

Synonyms

Adjective

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

Noun

• cold wave
• deep freeze
• freeze
• snap

Examples of cold in a Sentence

Adjective

The water was too cold for swimming.

The weather has been unusually cold this spring.

a country with a cold climate

It was a long, cold winter.

It's cold outside, but the wind makes it feel even colder.

It's bitterly cold out there!

metal that is cold to the touch

Are you cold? I could turn up the temperature if you'd like.

a bowl of cold cereal

He ate cold pizza for breakfast.

Noun

I mind cold more than heat.

They died of exposure to cold.

The cold really sets in around late November and doesn't let up until April.

I stood there shivering in the cold.

He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.

Come in out of the cold.

It's not the flu, it's just a cold.

Adverb

She was asked to perform the song cold.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As cold weather approaches, the Asian beetles, an invasive species often confused for the native ladybugs, seek out places to overwinter. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024

In the technique, which law enforcement is more commonly using to solve cold cases, commercial DNA databases are searched to find family matches to the DNA of a crime suspect, a victim or a missing person. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024

Noun

The colder months are also prime season for flu, colds, and viruses, so germs are more likely to cover high-touch surfaces such as door handles, light switches, and countertops. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024

The couple, newly parents of two, thought the infant just had a bad summer cold. —Cassie Shortsleeve, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2024

Adverb

The two teams were tied at 17-17 after a first quarter that saw the Buckeyes go cold late, shooting two for 11 to close the period. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023

If the suspect is an undocumented immigrant, the trail can go cold quickly. —Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, going back to Old English cald (Anglian), ceald (West Saxon), going back to Germanic *kalða- (whence Old Saxon cald "cold," Middle Dutch cout, Old High German kalt, Old Norse kaldr, Gothic kalds), verbal adjective from *kalan- "to be cold" (whence Old English calan "to be cold, to make cold," Old Norse kala "to freeze") going back to a dialectal Indo-European base *ǵel-, *ǵol-, whence also Latin gelū, gelus "frost, cold," gelāre "to freeze, chill"

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English ceald, cald, noun derivative of ceald, cald cold entry 1 (or derivative from the Germanic base of these adjectives)

Adverb

derivative of cold entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cold

• blow hot and cold
• blue from the cold
• blue with cold
• cold-blooded
• cold call
• cold cash
• cold chisel
• cold comfort
• cold cream
• cold cuts
• cold duck
• cold-eyed
• cold feet
• cold fish
• cold frame
• cold front
• cold open
• cold opening
• cold-press
• cold remedy
• cold shoulder
• cold-smoke
• cold snap
• cold sore
• cold spell
• cold storage
• cold store
• cold sweat
• cold turkey
• cold type
• cold war
• cold warrior
• cold water
• cold wave
• come in from the cold
• common cold
• feel the heat/cold
• freezing cold
• gave him the cold shoulder
• got the cold shoulder
• head cold
• ice-cold
• icy cold
• in the cold light of day
• knock cold
• leave (someone) cold
• leave (someone) out in the cold
• make someone's blood run cold
• out in the cold
• stone-cold
• the cold
• the cold shoulder
• throw cold water on
• trail goes cold

Kids Definition

cold

1 of 2 adjective

ˈkōld 

1

: having a low temperature or one much below normal

a cold day

a cold drink

2

: lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly

a cold stare

3

: suffering or uncomfortable from lack of warmth

they feel cold

4

a

: marked by the loss of normal body heat

cold hands

b

: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious

passed out cold

coldly adverb

coldness

ˈkōl(d)-nəs 

noun

cold

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a condition of low temperature

b

: cold weather

2

: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat : chill

3

: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling

especially : common cold

Medical Definition

cold

1 of 3 adjective

ˈkōld 

1

a

: having or being a temperature that is noticeably lower than body temperature and especially that is uncomfortable for humans

a cold drafty room

b

: having a relatively low temperature or one that is lower than normal or expected

the bath water has gotten cold

c

: receptive to the sensation of coldness : stimulated by cold

a cold spot is a typical receptor in higher vertebrates

2

: marked by the loss of normal body heat

cold hands

3

: dead

4

: exhibiting little or no radioactivity

coldness

ˈkōl(d)-nəs 

noun

cold

2 of 3 noun

1

: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat

2

: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling:

a

in humans : common cold

b

in domestic animals : coryza

COLD

3 of 3 abbreviation

chronic obstructive lung disease