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Definition of 'chilly'

Word Frequency

chilly

(tʃɪli )

Word forms: comparative chillier , superlative chilliest

1. adjective

Something that is chilly is unpleasantly cold.

It was a chilly afternoon.

The rooms had grown chilly.

Synonyms: cool, fresh, sharp, crisp More Synonyms of chilly

2. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]

If you feel chilly, you feel rather cold.

I'm a bit chilly.

3. adjective

You say that relations between people are chilly or that a person's response is chilly when they are not friendly, welcoming, or enthusiastic.

I was slightly afraid of their chilly distant politeness.

Synonyms: unfriendly, hostile, unsympathetic, frigid More Synonyms of chilly

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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Word Frequency

chilly in British English

(ˈtʃɪlɪ )

adjectiveWord forms: -lier or -liest

1.

causing or feeling cool or moderately cold

2.

without warmth; unfriendly

3.

(of people) sensitive to cold

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Derived forms

chilliness (ˈchilliness)

noun

Word Frequency

chilly in American English

(ˈtʃɪli )

adjectiveWord forms: ˈchillier or ˈchilliest

1.

moderately cold; uncomfortably cool

2.

chilling; making cold

3.

cool in manner; unfriendly

4.

depressing; dispiriting

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Derived forms

chillily (ˈchillily)

adverb

chilliness (ˈchilliness)

noun

Word Frequency

chilly in American English

(ˈtʃɪli) (adjective chillier, chilliest)

adjective

1.

mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold; causing shivering; chill

a chilly breeze

2.

feeling cold; sensitive to cold

Her hands were chilly

3.

without warmth of feeling; cool

a chilly reply

4.

producing or likely to produce a feeling of fear; frightening

He told a chilly story of ghosts and murder

adverb

5. Also: chillily

in a chill manner

The wind blew chilly

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Derived forms

chilliness

noun

Word origin

[1560–70; chill + -y1]

Examples of 'chilly' in a sentence
chilly

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

And it looks like remaining chilly for the rest of the week.The sun disappears behind a cloud and suddenly it feels chilly.It was a particularly chilly and damp day across the south.The week ahead also looks changeable and rather chilly.It certainly feels cosy on a chilly autumn afternoon.You may still get cold nights or chilly winds that can damage or slow it.It was very romantic if a bit chilly.It will still feel chilly in the northeast but relatively mild in the west and southwest.Our heightened sensitivity to cold makes a chilly draught invariably feel more uncomfortable than a warm breeze.It was overcast and a bit chilly.

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chilly

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In other languages
chilly

British English: chilly /ˈtʃɪlɪ/ ADJECTIVE

Chilly means uncomfortably cold.

It was a chilly afternoon.

American English: chilly
Arabic: بَارِد
Brazilian Portuguese: frio
Chinese: 寒冷的
Croatian: hladan
Czech: studený
Danish: kølig
Dutch: koel
European Spanish: frío
Finnish: viileä
French: froid
German: kühl
Greek: κρύος
Italian: fresco
Japanese: 寒い
Korean: 쌀쌀한
Norwegian: kjølig
Polish: chłodny
European Portuguese: frio
Romanian: friguros
Russian: холодный
Latin American Spanish: frío
Swedish: kylig
Thai: หนาวเย็น
Turkish: soğuk
Ukrainian: холодний
Vietnamese: lạnh lẽo

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Nearby words of
chilly

Related terms of
chilly

Source

Definition of chilly from the Collins English Dictionary

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Which version is correct?

We fell in love with a black dog with a long tail. We fell in love with a black dog with a long tale.

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My sisters moved even farther away from home. My sisters moved even father away from home.

ring or wring?

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ring

wring

You can me anytime.

ridden or rode?

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He ridden to work on a bicycle. He rode to work on a bicycle.

dear or deer?

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dear

deer

Mrs Cavendish is a friend of mine.

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Scrabble score
for 'chilly':
14

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

bare or bear?

Which version is correct?

His fridge was bare apart from a tomato. His fridge was bear apart from a tomato.

pair or pear?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

pear

pair

For dessert we had poached .

sole or soul?

Which version is correct?

He was a huge fan of sole music. He was a huge fan of soul music.

main or mane?

Which version is correct?

The horse's main can be washed at the same time as his body. The horse's mane can be washed at the same time as his body.

flour or flower?

Which version is correct?

Fiona picked a beautiful red flour for the display. Fiona picked a beautiful red flower for the display.

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