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 pluralIf 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
Over 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
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 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
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
2
: 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
sometimes chiller; sometimes chillest
2
: affected by cold
chill travelers
4
: depressing, dispiriting
chill penury—Thomas Gray
5
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
We'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
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share