# cool one's heels

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cool-ones-heels
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To wait, especially impatiently or restlessly.

## Examples

- I had to cool my heels for an hour at the bus stop.
- The manager told me to cool my heels in the lobby while he finished his phone call.
- After arriving early for the interview, the candidate was forced to cool his heels in the waiting room for nearly forty minutes while the committee deliberated.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.