Word forms: comparative cooler, superlative coolest, 3rd person singular presenttense cools, present participle cooling, past tense, past participle cooled
1. adjective
Something that is cool has a temperature which is low but not very low.
I felt a current of cool air.
The water was slightly cooler than a child's bath.
The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators.
cold
Synonyms: cold, chilled, chilling, refreshing More Synonyms of cool
coolnessuncountable noun [oft NOUNof noun]
His knees felt the coolness of the tiled floor.
Synonyms: impudence, audacity, boldness, insolence More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: sophistication, elegance, poise, urbanity More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: coldness, freshness, chilliness, nippiness More Synonyms of cool
2. adjective
If it is cool, or if a place is cool, the temperature of the air is low but not very low.
Thank goodness it's cool in here.
Store grains and cereals in a cool, dry place.
...a cool November evening.
Cool is also a noun.
She walked into the cool of the hallway. [+ of]
coolnessuncountable noun [oft NOUNof noun]
Soon we left the coolness of the olive groves.
Synonyms: impudence, audacity, boldness, insolence More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: sophistication, elegance, poise, urbanity More Synonyms of cool
3. adjective
Clothing that is cool is made of thin material so that you do not become too hot in hot weather.
In warm weather, you should wear clothing that is cool and comfortable.
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Cool colours are light colours which give an impression of coolness.
Choose a cool colour such as cream.
The drawing-room was a cool silver green.
5. verb
When something cools or when you cool it, it becomes lower in temperature.
Drain the meat and allow it to cool. [VERB]
Huge fans will have to cool the concrete floor to keep it below 150 degrees. [VERB noun]
...a cooling breeze. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: lose heat, cool off More Synonyms of cool
To cool down means the same as to cool.
Avoid putting your car away until the engine has cooled down. [VERBPARTICLE]
The other main way the body cools itself down is by panting. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
[Also VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
coolinguncountable noun [usually NOUNof noun]
Being immobile in a cold room leads to a cooling of the body temperature.
6. verb
When a feeling or emotion cools, or when you cool it, it becomes less powerful.
Within a few minutes tempers had cooled. [VERB]
His weird behaviour had cooled her passion. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: calm (down), lessen, abate More Synonyms of cool
7. adjective
If you say that a person or their behaviour is cool, you mean that they are calm and unemotional, especially in a difficult situation.
[approval]
He was marvellously cool again, smiling as if nothing had happened.
At that, Reno lost her cool composure.
Synonyms: calm, together [slang], collected, relaxed More Synonyms of cool
coollyadverb
Everyone must think this situation through calmly and coolly.
...coolly 'objective' professionals.
coolnessuncountable noun [usually with supplement]
Detectives praised him for his coolness.
Synonyms: impudence, audacity, boldness, insolence More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: sophistication, elegance, poise, urbanity More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: calmness, control, composure, self-control More Synonyms of cool
8. adjective
If you say that a person or their behaviour is cool, you mean that they are unfriendly or not enthusiastic.
I didn't like him at all. I thought he was cool, aloof, and arrogant.
The idea met with a cool response.
He was given a cool reception.
Synonyms: unenthusiastic, indifferent, lukewarm, uninterested More Synonyms of cool
coollyadverb [usually ADVERB with verb, oft ADVERB adjective]
'It's your choice, Nina,' David said coolly.
coolnessuncountable noun [usually with supplement]
She seemed quite unaware of the sudden coolness of her friend's manner.
Synonyms: impudence, audacity, boldness, insolence More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: sophistication, elegance, poise, urbanity More Synonyms of cool
Synonyms: unfriendliness, reserve, distance, indifference More Synonyms of cool
9. adjective
If you say that a person or their behaviour is cool, you mean that they are fashionable and attractive.
[informal, approval]
He was trying to be really cool and trendy.
...some 15-year-old kid who thinks it's cool to do heroin.
Synonyms: fashionable, with it [old-fashioned, informal], hip [slang], stylish More Synonyms of cool
10. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you say that someone is coolabout something, you mean that they accept it and are not angry or upset about it.
[mainly US, informal, approval]
Bev was really cool about it all. [+ about]
11. adjective
If you say that something is cool, you think it is very good.
[informal]
Kathleen gave me a really cool dress.
12. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You can use cool to emphasize that an amount or figure is very large, especially when it has been obtained easily.
[informal, emphasis]
Columbia recently re-signed the band for a cool $30 million.
13.
See cool it
14.
See keep your cool
15.
See play it cool
16. as cool as a cucumber
17. to cool your heels
Phrasal verbs:
See cool down
See cool off
More Synonyms of cool
cool in British English
(kuːl)
adjective
1.
moderately cold
a cool day
2.
comfortably free of heat
a cool room
3.
producing a pleasant feeling of coldness
a cool shirt
4.
able to conceal emotion; calm
a cool head
5.
lacking in enthusiasm, affection, cordiality, etc
a cool welcome
6.
calmly audacious or impudent
7. informal
(esp of numbers, sums of money, etc) without exaggeration; actual
a cool ten thousand
8.
(of a colour) having violet, blue, or green predominating; cold
9.
(of jazz) characteristic of the late 1940s and early 1950s, economical and rhythmically relaxed
10. informal
sophisticated or elegant, esp in an unruffled way
11. informal
excellent; marvellous
12. informal(postpositive; usually foll bywith)
tolerant or accepting (of)
my parents are cool with me being a musician
13. informal(postpositive)
on good terms; amicable
my ex-boyfriend and I are cool again
adverb
14. not standard
in a cool manner; coolly
noun
15.
coolness
the cool of the evening
16. slang
calmness; composure (esp in the phrases keeporlose one's cool)
17. slang
unruffled elegance or sophistication
verb
18. (usually foll bydown or off)
to make or become cooler
19. (usually foll bydown or off)
to lessen the intensity of (anger or excitement) or (of anger or excitement) to become less intense; calm down
20. cool it
21. cool one's heels
Derived forms
coolingly (ˈcoolingly)
adverb
coolingness (ˈcoolingness)
noun
coolish (ˈcoolish)
adjective
coolly (ˈcoolly)
adverb
coolness (ˈcoolness)
noun
Word origin
Old English cōl; related to Old Norse kōlna, Old High German kuoli; see cold, chill
cool in American English
(kul)
adjective
1.
moderately cold; neither warm nor very cold
2.
tending to reduce discomfort in warm or hot weather
said of colors in the blue-green end of the spectrum
7. Informal
without exaggeration
he won a cool thousand dollars
8. US, Slang
very good, pleasing, etc.; excellent
adverb
9.
in a cool manner
noun
10.
a cool place, time, thing, part, etc.
the cool of the evening
11. US, Slang
cool, dispassionate attitude or manner
verb intransitive
12.
to become cool or colder
verb transitive
13.
to make cool or colder
Idioms:
cool down
cool it
cool off
cool out
play it cool
SYNONYMY NOTE: cool, in this comparison, implies freedom from the heat of emotion or excitement, suggestinga calm, dispassionate attitude or a controlled alertness in difficult circumstances;, composed suggests readiness to meet a trying situation through self-possession or the discipliningof one's emotions; , collected stresses a being in full command of one's faculties or emotions in a distractingsituation; , unruffled suggests the maintenance of poise or composure in the face of something that mightagitate or embarrass one; , nonchalant stresses a cool lack of concern or casual indifference
OPPOSITES: excited, agitated
Derived forms
coolish (ˈcoolish)
adjective
coolly (ˈcoolly)
adverb
coolness (ˈcoolness)
noun
Word origin
ME & OE col < IE base *gel-, cold, to freeze > chill, cold, L gelu
More idioms containing
cool
keep a cool head
lose your cool
keep your cool
cool as a cucumber
Examples of 'cool' in a sentence
cool
And he clearly has a cool head tactically.
The Sun (2016)
Thaw overnight at cool room temperature and cook as directed.
The Sun (2016)
You just have to rise above it and keep your cool.
The Sun (2016)
They just want to make something cool.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was me who looked away and walked out into the cool night air.
The Sun (2016)
We were the coolest thing in the valley.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Some say that managerial cool is both his strength and his weakness.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
She looks down and back up, meeting my gaze with cool blue eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Once cooked, drain and set the haddock to one side to cool slightly.
The Sun (2017)
Your mind is working fast but your emotions stay cool, so you can still talk convincingly about ideas - and the right person is listening.
The Sun (2016)
Your emotions cool so you can see your life more clearly and make realistic but exciting plans.
The Sun (2010)
It is a bit less cool than his previous books.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are lots of cool ones to choose from.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
My wife says it has been kind of cool.
The Sun (2007)
Will the weather remain cool and unsettled in the week ahead?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
There is something cool and businesslike about you and people take what you say seriously.
The Sun (2009)
This means cool air is able to burrow down into the lower layers of the atmosphere.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They are really cool and more edgy than the shopping centres.
The Sun (2013)
The car lights are extinguished and we stand in the blue shadows and cooling dust.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Temperatures will cool down a little bit.
The Sun (2010)
Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you make the chilli caramel.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You have to try to keep him cool and calm by blowing on him.
The Sun (2006)
You could be surprised by the way you conduct cool cash deals.
The Sun (2011)
Its evaporation from the skin cools the body.
Mayes, Adrienne The Dictionary of Nutritional Health (1986)
It will be a time for cool heads.
The Sun (2014)
Stunning winner after cool finish for equaliser.
The Sun (2013)
To win after what they did to us there was pretty cool.
The Sun (2015)
That would be an extremely cool one to get.
The Sun (2014)
Will any of the stadiums have a cool cable car?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They look cool and keep your head warm.
The Sun (2014)
We were referencing all sorts of cool things on that.
The Sun (2011)
We must remain with the cool head.
The Sun (2009)
There are sandy beaches and a cooling breeze.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Store in a dry cool place out of direct sunlight.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Going out with a thirtysomething when you are barely into your twenties is the coolest thing a man can do.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
cool
British English: cool /kuːl/ ADJECTIVE
slighty cold Something that is cool has a low temperature but is not cold.
There was a cool breeze.
American English: cool cold
Arabic: بارِد
Brazilian Portuguese: fresco
Chinese: 凉爽的
Croatian: hladan
Czech: chladný
Danish: kold
Dutch: koel
European Spanish: fresco frío
Finnish: viileä
French: frais température
German: kühl
Greek: δροσερός
Italian: fresco
Japanese: 涼しい
Korean: 서늘한
Norwegian: avkjølt
Polish: chłodny
European Portuguese: fresco
Romanian: răcoros
Russian: прохладный
Latin American Spanish: fresco
Swedish: kylig
Thai: เย็น
Turkish: serin
Ukrainian: прохолодний
Vietnamese: mát mẻ
British English: cool /kuːl/ ADJECTIVE
stylish If you say that someone is cool, you mean that they are fashionable and attractive.
He was trying to be really cool and trendy.
American English: cool stylish
Arabic: أَنِيق
Brazilian Portuguese: bacana
Chinese: 时尚的
Croatian: drzak
Czech: cool
Danish: sej
Dutch: cool
European Spanish: chulo
Finnish: siisti hieno, upea
French: cool
German: cool
Greek: στυλάτος
Italian: figo
Japanese: かっこいい
Korean: 멋진
Norwegian: kul
Polish: fajny
European Portuguese: fixe
Romanian: la modă
Russian: стильный
Latin American Spanish: genial
Swedish: cool
Thai: ทันสมัย
Turkish: havalı
Ukrainian: крутий
Vietnamese: sành điệu
All related terms of 'cool'
cool it
If you tell someone to cool it , you want them to stop being angry and aggressive and to behave more calmly.
air-cool
to cool (an engine ) by a flow of air
cool bag
an insulated container used to keep food cool on picnics , to carry frozen food, etc
cool down
If someone cools down or if you cool them down , they become less angry than they were.
cool jazz
a restrained , fluid modern-jazz style of the 1950s, marked by intricate harmonic structures, de-emphasized dynamics , and carefully controlled phrasing and ensemble playing, often with a slight lagging behind the beat
cool off
If someone or something cools off , or if you cool them off , they become cooler after having been hot .
cool out
to relax and cool down
ice-cool
If you describe someone as ice-cool , you admire them because they are calm and do not show emotion in difficult situations .
way-cool
outstanding ; excellent ; marvellous
cool beans
excellent ; impressive
cool drink
any soft drink
cool-headed
If you describe someone as cool-headed , you mean that they stay calm in difficult situations.
cool hotel
A hotel is a building where people stay, for example on holiday , paying for their rooms and meals .
cool hunter
a person who is employed to identify future trends , esp in fashion or the media
cool school
a school where the students resolve conflict without the involvement of teachers
water-cool
to cool (an engine , etc) by a flow of water circulating in an enclosed jacket
play it cool
If you play it cool , you deliberately behave in a calm , unemotional way because you do not want people to know you are enthusiastic or angry about something.
keep your cool to lose your cool
If you keep your cool in a difficult situation, you manage to remain calm . If you lose your cool , you get angry or upset .
lose your cool
to suddenly get angry and behave in a bad-tempered or uncontrolled way
cool one's heels
to wait or be kept waiting
keep a cool head
to remain calm in a difficult situation
cool as a cucumber
very relaxed , calm, and not emotional
to cool your heels
If you are cooling your heels , someone is deliberately keeping you waiting , so that you get bored or impatient .
as cool as a cucumber
If you say that someone is as cool as a cucumber , you are emphasizing that they are very calm and relaxed , especially when you would not expect them to be.
kick your heels
to wait somewhere and feel bored or impatient because you have nothing to do, or because someone is deliberately keeping you waiting
Chinese translation of 'cool'
cool
(kuːl)
adj
[water, breeze, evening, place]凉(涼)的 (liáng de)
(= light)[clothes]凉(涼)爽的 (liángshuǎng de)
(= calm, unemotional) 冷静(靜)的 (lěngjìng de)
(= unfriendly) 冷淡的 (lěngdàn de)
(inf)
(= good) 顶(頂)呱呱的 (dǐngguāguā de)
(= fashionable) 酷的 (kù de)
vt
使变(變)凉(涼) (shǐ biànliáng)
vi
冷下来(來) (lěngxiàlái)
n
to keep/lose one's cool (inf) 保持冷静(靜)/失去自制而激动(動)起来(來) (bǎochí lěngjìng/shīqù zìzhì ér jīdòng qǐlái)
it's quite cool today今天挺凉(涼) (jīntiān tǐng liáng)
to keep sth cool保持某物的凉(涼)度 (bǎochí mǒuwù de liángdù)