# chill out

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chill-out
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to relax completely or stop worrying about something. You use this when you want to spend time doing nothing stressful.

For teachers: to relax or calm down; often used as an intransitive imperative to suggest a reduction in emotional intensity or stress.

## Examples

- I just want to chill out and watch a movie.
- After a long week at the office, we usually go to the park to chill out.
- The atmosphere at the retreat was designed to help guests chill out and disconnect from their digital lives entirely.

## Pitfalls

- Not "You need to chill out yourself." but "You need to chill out." — this phrasal verb is usually intransitive and does not take a reflexive pronoun like 'yourself'.

## Usage notes

- very common in informal speech; can be used as a command to tell someone to stop being angry.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'relax' to show register difference; 'chill out' is much more casual and popular among younger speakers.

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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.