Chill Went From Cold to Calm in One Generation
A chill is a feeling of cold. Since the 1970s the word has also meant to relax, and the two senses now live side by side.
A chill is an unpleasant coldness, and to chill is to make something cold. A second life began in African American English in the 1970s: *chill out* meant calm down, and by the 1990s *chill* alone could mean to relax, so a fridge chills a drink and a person chills on a sofa. The link is temperature as temper — hot means angry, cool means composed. A *chilling* effect, in law, is the way a threat discourages people from speaking.
- Unpleasant cold. *A chill in the air.*
- To make cold. *Chill the wine.*
- To relax (informal). *We just chilled.*
- Chilling — frightening. *A chilling account.*
- Chilled — cooled, or relaxed. *Chilled and ready.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chill | A sudden chill. |
| Verb | chill | Chill it. |
| Past | chilled | Chilled overnight. |
| Adjective | chilly | A chilly morning. |
| Adjective | chilling | A chilling story. |
- There was a chill in the evening air.Cold.
- Chill the dough for an hour.Cooking.
- The ruling had a chilling effect on reporting.Legal.
Temperature words for mood
- Chill — relax, from being cool rather than heated
- Cool — composed, and also approving
- Heated — angry, as in a heated argument
- Warm — friendly and affectionate
- Frosty — unfriendly, as in a frosty reception
Old English *cele* or *ciele*, cold, from a Germanic root related to *cold*. The relaxation sense is twentieth-century American.
What is a chilling effect?
In law, the way a threat of punishment discourages people from lawful speech, even if no case is ever brought.
Is chill out formal English?
No. It is informal and best kept out of formal writing, though it is understood everywhere.