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Definition of 'chilly'

Word Frequency

chilly

(tʃɪli )

Word forms: chillier, chilliest

1. adjective

Something that is chilly is unpleasantly cold.

It was a chilly afternoon.

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

2. adjective [v-link ADJ]

If you feel chilly, you feel rather cold.

I'm a bit chilly.

More Synonyms of chilly

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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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]

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

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
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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Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

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He began to groan with pain. He began to grown with pain.

bloc or block?

Which version is correct?

We walked around the bloc three times. We walked around the block three times.

cornflour or cornflower?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

cornflour

cornflower

Blend the with a little milk.

paw or pour?

Which version is correct?

He removes a thorn from a lion's paw. He removes a thorn from a lion's pour.

broke or broken?

Which version is correct?

The lead biker broke his bike chain. The lead biker broken his bike chain.

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Dec 14, 2020

Word of the day

cable-knit

knitted using the cable stitch

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Scrabble score
for 'chilly':
14

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

hour or our?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

hour

our

I only slept for an that night.

sail or sale?

Which version is correct?

They are trying to limit the sail of sugary drinks. They are trying to limit the sale of sugary drinks.

key or quay?

Which version is correct?

She reached for her car key. She reached for her car quay.

him or hymn?

Which version is correct?

I find it difficult to choose my favourite him. I find it difficult to choose my favourite hymn.

beat or beet?

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beat

beet

She could hear the of his heart.

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