chill

A2 · Elementary

adj. feeling uncomfortably cold.

adj. characterised by a moderate but penetrating coldness.

“There was a chill wind blowing off the lake this morning.”

“The morning air turned chill as the sun dipped behind the mountain range, forcing the hikers to reach for their jackets.”

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a slight feeling of cold, or a cold feeling you get when you are sick.

n. a moderate coldness of the atmosphere or a shivering sensation caused by cold or illness.

“I woke up with a fever and a nasty chill.”

“A sudden chill in the air signaled the arrival of the autumn front, catching the city dwellers unprepared in their summer attire.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Literary

n. a sudden feeling of fear or dread.

n. a sudden sensation of fear, anxiety, or alarm, often accompanied by shivering.

“A chill went down her spine when she heard the door creak open.”

“The ghost story sent a visible chill through the audience, leaving a heavy silence in the room long after the narrator finished.”

A2 · Elementary Cooking

v. to make something cold, usually food or drink.

v. to lower the temperature of something, typically by refrigeration.

“You should chill the white wine for an hour before serving it.”

“The recipe requires you to chill the dough thoroughly to ensure the pastry remains flaky during the baking process.”

B1 · Intermediate Informal · Slang

v. to spend time relaxing or doing nothing special.

v. to spend time relaxing or socialising in a low-pressure environment; often used as 'chill out'.

“We spent the whole weekend just chilling at home and watching movies.”

“After the final exams were over, the students spent the afternoon chilling by the river to decompress from the stress of the week.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to make someone feel less excited or to stop a process.

v. to discourage or dampen enthusiasm; to have a restrictive effect on an activity.

“The high interest rates might chill the housing market this year.”

“The new regulations had a chilling effect on investment, causing several major firms to withdraw their proposals from the region.”