cold
1 of 3adjective
ˈkōld 
1
a
: having or being a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans
it is cold outside today
a cold drafty attic
b
: having a relatively low temperature or one lower than normal or expected
the bath water has gotten cold
c
: not heated: such as
(1)
of food : served without heating especially after initial cooking or processing
cold cereal
cold roast beef
(2)
: served chilled or with ice
a cold drink
(3)
: involving processing without the use of heat
cold working of steel
2
a
: marked by a lack of the warmth of normal human emotion, friendliness, or compassion
a cold stare
got a cold reception
also : not moved to enthusiasm
the movie leaves me cold
b
: not colored or affected by personal feeling or bias : detached, indifferent
cold chronicles recorded by an outsider—
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris also : impersonal, objective
cold facts
cold reality
c
: marked by sure familiarity : pat
had her lines cold weeks before opening night
3
: conveying the impression of being cold: such as
a
: depressing, gloomy
cold gray skies
b
: cool sense 6a
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
especially : dead
… she lay cold and still—she was gone … —Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
5
a
: having lost freshness or vividness : stale
dogs trying to pick up a cold scent
b
: far off the mark : not close to finding or solving —used especially in children's games
c
: marked by poor or unlucky performance
the team's shooting turned cold in the second half
d
: not prepared or suitably warmed up
The player's sub entered the game cold.
coldish
ˈkōld-ish
adjective coldly
ˈkōl(d)-lē
adverb coldness
ˈkōl(d)-nəs
noun cold
2 of 3noun
1
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat
they died of the cold
2
: a condition of low temperature
extremes of heat and cold
especially : cold weather
He waited outside for her in the bitter cold.
3
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling
specifically : common cold
She came down with a cold.
cold
3 of 3adverb
1
: with utter finality : absolutely, completely
turned down cold
also : abruptly
stopped them cold
2
a
: without introduction or advance notice
walked in cold to apply for a job
b
: without preparation or warm-up
was asked to perform the solo cold
Synonyms
Adjective
- algid
- arctic
- bitter
- bone-chilling
- chill
- chilly
- coldish
- cool
- coolish
- freezing
- frigid
- frosty
- gelid
- glacial
- ice-cold
- icy
- nipping
- nippy
- numbing
- polar
- shivery
- snappy
- wintry
- wintery
Noun
- cold wave
- deep freeze
- freeze
- snap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective The water was too cold for swimming. The weather has been unusually cold this spring. a country with a cold climate It was a long, cold winter. It's cold outside, but the wind makes it feel even colder. It's bitterly cold out there! metal that is cold to the touch Are you cold? I could turn up the temperature if you'd like. a bowl of cold cereal He ate cold pizza for breakfast. Noun I mind cold more than heat. They died of exposure to cold. The cold really sets in around late November and doesn't let up until April. I stood there shivering in the cold. He waited outside for her in the bitter cold. Come in out of the cold. It's not the flu, it's just a cold. Adverb She was asked to perform the song cold. See More
Recent Examples on the WebSarah Wharton, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023 Though Stockholm’s harbor is cold, the gusts off the Baltic are briny and sweet, lacking the salt and corrosive violence of Atlantic winds. —Nina Sovich, WSJ, 16 Feb. 2023 Currently, in Turkey, temperatures have been unseasonably cold. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 15 Feb. 2023 Sure, some winter days are too cold to enjoy the outdoors, but with a good jacket, couples can enjoy Milwaukee's paved and plowed trails most of the year. —Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2023 The Baltic Sea, however, is very cold and has low salinity, which helps preserve archaeological materials. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023 Castor oil and shea butter up the hydration as well, which makes this a great companion for trips to cold, dry climates. —Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2023 In the case of the Titanic, the water was much too cold for the most common organic eater, the shipworm, but researchers have still found over 20 different microbes accelerating the decomposition of the ship, Sinclair says. —Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 Feb. 2023 Clear Coach Tom Coughlin was clearly cold when the New York Giants poured clear Gaotrade on him in Arizona following their win against the New England Patriots. —Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023 oregonlive, 18 Feb. 2023 This piece should fit more loosely than the base layer to help create a protective layer of warm air between your skin and the outside cold for better insulation. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2023 Higgins for a long time was guarded, and maybe even a little cold. —Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2023 And looming over all of this is Turkey’s ruthless winter cold. —Melissa Healystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 Credit: Netflix Over the course of four hours in the biting cold on location outside Prague, Felix Krammer as Paul and Albrecht Schuch as Kat acted out the scene, trousers around their ankles. —CNN, 17 Feb. 2023 With the start of spring trending earlier, major swings between unusual warmth and peculiar cold seem primed to menace vegetation into the future. —Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023 Peach trees lost virtually every bud in the recent cold at Carlson Orchards. —Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Feb. 2023 Your seed sowing will have to wait until fall when transplants can be started and added to the garden in December or January to receive the winter cold. —Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2023 Chris Hachey, BGR, 15 Dec. 2022 The companies obtained phone numbers for elderly people throughout the country and cold-called them. —Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 15 June 2022 The turtle — 13 Kemp's ridley and two green sea turtles — arrived at the National Aquarium in November 2021 after rescuers found the creatures stranded and cold-stunned off the coast of Massachusetts. —Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 3 Mar. 2022 One of the massages, for instance, uses a CBD oil (featuring cold-pressed grapeseed oil, arnica, chamomile and Vitamin E) from Colorado’s Steamboat Springs. —Chadner Navarro, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2023 Raw Generation also makes cold-pressed juice cleanses and daily wellness packs. —Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2023 The Beard Oil from Noun Naturals uses the power of organic, cold-pressed and unrefined oils to promote growth, soften hair and fight dandruff for a beard that looks and feels its absolute best. —Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022 His family's olives are hand-picked and cold-pressed, then the oil is bottled in Lebanon and shipped to the U.S. —Emma Balter, Chron, 20 Dec. 2022 Opened last November, the center takes a holistic approach to self-care: After a deep tissue massage, indulge in a Japanese Oak mineral bath, traditional hot rock sauna, and cold-pressed organic juice from the sanctum’s Elixir Bar. —Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2022 See More
Adjective
Pela's Lomi Composter is another electric option for those who live in apartments and those in cold climates, who wouldn't be composting outdoors year-round. —Sarah Wharton, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023 Though Stockholm’s harbor is cold, the gusts off the Baltic are briny and sweet, lacking the salt and corrosive violence of Atlantic winds. —Nina Sovich, WSJ, 16 Feb. 2023 Currently, in Turkey, temperatures have been unseasonably cold. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 15 Feb. 2023 Sure, some winter days are too cold to enjoy the outdoors, but with a good jacket, couples can enjoy Milwaukee's paved and plowed trails most of the year. —Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2023 The Baltic Sea, however, is very cold and has low salinity, which helps preserve archaeological materials. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2023 Castor oil and shea butter up the hydration as well, which makes this a great companion for trips to cold, dry climates. —Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2023 In the case of the Titanic, the water was much too cold for the most common organic eater, the shipworm, but researchers have still found over 20 different microbes accelerating the decomposition of the ship, Sinclair says. —Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 13 Feb. 2023 Clear Coach Tom Coughlin was clearly cold when the New York Giants poured clear Gaotrade on him in Arizona following their win against the New England Patriots. —Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2023 Noun
Adding mulch, which is always a good idea, helps the soil to conserve water and reduces weed growth, can also help to protect the plant’s roots during the winter cold. —oregonlive, 18 Feb. 2023 This piece should fit more loosely than the base layer to help create a protective layer of warm air between your skin and the outside cold for better insulation. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2023 Higgins for a long time was guarded, and maybe even a little cold. —Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2023 And looming over all of this is Turkey’s ruthless winter cold. —Melissa Healystaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023 Credit: Netflix Over the course of four hours in the biting cold on location outside Prague, Felix Krammer as Paul and Albrecht Schuch as Kat acted out the scene, trousers around their ankles. —CNN, 17 Feb. 2023 With the start of spring trending earlier, major swings between unusual warmth and peculiar cold seem primed to menace vegetation into the future. —Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2023 Peach trees lost virtually every bud in the recent cold at Carlson Orchards. —Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Feb. 2023 Your seed sowing will have to wait until fall when transplants can be started and added to the garden in December or January to receive the winter cold. —Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2023 Adverb
In short, the prankster pretended to be a cop and, over and over again, cold-called a series of fast-food restaurants, eventually convincing a manager at each one to strip-search a young female worker. —Chris Hachey, BGR, 15 Dec. 2022 The companies obtained phone numbers for elderly people throughout the country and cold-called them. —Adam Ferrise, cleveland, 15 June 2022 The turtle — 13 Kemp's ridley and two green sea turtles — arrived at the National Aquarium in November 2021 after rescuers found the creatures stranded and cold-stunned off the coast of Massachusetts. —Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, 3 Mar. 2022 One of the massages, for instance, uses a CBD oil (featuring cold-pressed grapeseed oil, arnica, chamomile and Vitamin E) from Colorado’s Steamboat Springs. —Chadner Navarro, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2023 Raw Generation also makes cold-pressed juice cleanses and daily wellness packs. —Ramsey Qubein, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2023 The Beard Oil from Noun Naturals uses the power of organic, cold-pressed and unrefined oils to promote growth, soften hair and fight dandruff for a beard that looks and feels its absolute best. —Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022 His family's olives are hand-picked and cold-pressed, then the oil is bottled in Lebanon and shipped to the U.S. —Emma Balter, Chron, 20 Dec. 2022 Opened last November, the center takes a holistic approach to self-care: After a deep tissue massage, indulge in a Japanese Oak mineral bath, traditional hot rock sauna, and cold-pressed organic juice from the sanctum’s Elixir Bar. —Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, going back to Old English cald (Anglian), ceald (West Saxon), going back to Germanic *kalða- (whence Old Saxon cald "cold," Middle Dutch cout, Old High German kalt, Old Norse kaldr, Gothic kalds), verbal adjective from *kalan- "to be cold" (whence Old English calan "to be cold, to make cold," Old Norse kala "to freeze") going back to a dialectal Indo-European base *ǵel-, *ǵol-, whence also Latin gelū, gelus "frost, cold," gelāre "to freeze, chill"
Noun
Middle English, going back to Old English ceald, cald, noun derivative of ceald, cald cold entry 1 (or derivative from the Germanic base of these adjectives)
Adverb
derivative of cold entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Adverb
1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing cold
Kids Definition
cold
1 of 2 adjective ˈkōld
1
: having a low temperature or one much below normal
a cold day
a cold drink
2
: lacking warmth of feeling : unfriendly
a cold stare
3
: suffering or uncomfortable from lack of warmth
they feel cold
4
a
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
b
: giving the appearance of being dead : unconscious
passed out cold
coldly adverb
coldness
ˈkōl(d)-nəs
noun cold
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a condition of low temperature
b
: cold weather
2
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat : chill
3
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling
especially : common cold
Medical Definition
cold
1 of 3 adjective ˈkōld
1
a
: having or being a temperature that is noticeably lower than body temperature and especially that is uncomfortable for humans
a cold drafty room
b
: having a relatively low temperature or one that is lower than normal or expected
the bath water has gotten cold
c
: receptive to the sensation of coldness : stimulated by cold
a cold spot is a typical receptor in higher vertebrates
2
: marked by the loss of normal body heat
cold hands
3
: dead
4
: exhibiting little or no radioactivity
coldness
ˈkōl(d)-nəs
noun cold
2 of 3 noun1
: bodily sensation produced by loss or lack of heat
2
: a bodily disorder popularly associated with chilling:
a
in humans : common cold
b
in domestic animals : coryza
COLD
3 of 3 abbreviation chronic obstructive lung disease
cold 1 of 3
adjective
1
as in chilly
having a low or subnormal temperature the cold climate of the Yukon an unusually cold spring that was followed by a sweltering summer Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- chilly
- freezing
- frigid
- icy
- chill
- cool
- arctic
- frosty
- wintry
- bitter
- shivery
- chilled
- polar
- coldish
- glacial
- cooled
- coolish
- ice-cold
- numbing
- brisk
- nippy
- gelid
- wintery
- bone-chilling
- algid
- crisp
- nipping
- subzero
- snappy
- subfreezing
- cryogenic
- frozen
- ultracold
- penetrating
- iced
- cutting
- piercing
- unheated
- bracing
- invigorating
- refrigerated
- sharp
- frosted
- rigorous
- keen
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hot
- warming
- boiling
- sweltering
- warm
- lukewarm
- scorching
- burning
- tepid
- fiery
- molten
- sultry
- torrid
- scalding
- broiling
- searing
- sizzling
- seething
- igneous
- blazing
- heated
- fervent
- ardent
- fervid
- roasting
- glowing
- warmed
- overheated
- toasty
- reheated
- ultrahot
- feverish
- white-hot
- piping hot
- red-hot
- tropical
- snug
- muggy
- inflamed
- flushed
- steamy
- equatorial
- summery
- enflamed
- canicular
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling the prisoners got only a cold stare when they tried to befriend the guard Synonyms & Similar Words
- icy
- chilly
- frigid
- cool
- chill
- arctic
- frozen
- brittle
- frosty
- clammy
- reserved
- wintry
- gelid
- coldish
- glacial
- unfriendly
- wintery
- detached
- unsympathetic
- antiseptic
- pitiless
- uncaring
- heartless
- uncordial
- unfeeling
- hard-eyed
- cold-eyed
- coldhearted
- cold-blooded
- unemotional
- soulless
- unresponsive
- bloodless
- indifferent
- aloof
- impersonal
- uninterested
- apathetic
- offish
- dispassionate
- undemonstrative
- standoffish
- unenthusiastic
- hard-hearted
- antisocial
- unsociable
- unsocial
- kindless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- warm
- sympathetic
- happy
- friendly
- cordial
- hearty
- genial
- kind
- emotional
- compassionate
- warm-blooded
- warmhearted
- expressive
- eager
- demonstrative
- enthusiastic
- kindhearted
- passionate
3
as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others received a cold reception from the hostess Synonyms & Similar Words
- distant
- detached
- cool
- dry
- frosty
- reserved
- aloof
- remote
- withdrawn
- offish
- silent
- antisocial
- standoffish
- unsociable
- timid
- clinical
- unbending
- asocial
- hard
- standoff
- professional
- shy
- unclubbable
- cold-eyed
- indifferent
- buttoned-up
- impersonal
- unsocial
- misanthropic
- introverted
- apathetic
- dispassionate
- reclusive
- indrawn
- recessive
- disinterested
- uninterested
- unconcerned
- taciturn
- uncommunicative
- incurious
- diffident
- reticent
- nongregarious
- cliquish
- cliquey
- clubbish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- warm
- social
- friendly
- cordial
- sociable
- convivial
- outgoing
- companionable
- gregarious
- expansive
- extroverted
- boon
- talkative
- communicative
- hospitable
- garrulous
- clubby
- genial
- gracious
- extraverted
- folksy
- affable
- congenial
- clubable
- clubbable
- amiable
- agreeable
- kindly
- neighborly
4
as in unconscious
having lost consciousness the boxer was out cold for a few minutes Synonyms & Similar Words
- unconscious
- insensible
- senseless
- semiconscious
- anesthetized
- collapsed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conscious
- awake
- up
- aware
- alert
- revived
- resuscitated
5
as in dark
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the couple practiced a cold civility with each other, but they hadn't had a heart-to-heart talk in years Synonyms & Similar Words
- dark
- bleak
- lonely
- depressing
- darkening
- desolate
- depressive
- somber
- chill
- gray
- murky
- miserable
- lonesome
- morbid
- blue
- cheerless
- gloomy
- cloudy
- dreary
- solemn
- black
- depressed
- wretched
- grey
- drear
- dismal
- oppressive
- sullen
- glum
- morose
- comfortless
- sad
- godforsaken
- forlorn
- dire
- disconsolate
- melancholy
- lugubrious
- sunless
- dreich
- saturnine
- sepulchral
- funereal
- dull
- desperate
- elegiac
- sombre
- plutonian
- elegiacal
- unhappy
- tenebrific
- negative
- grim
- hopeless
- low
- dejected
- dim
- down
- tenebrous
- melancholic
- woebegone
- mournful
- droopy
- discouraging
- distressful
- mirthless
- woeful
- menacing
- inconsolable
- dispiriting
- Cimmerian
- drab
- discomfiting
- upsetting
- sorrowful
- distressing
- despondent
- hangdog
- pessimistic
- disheartening
- dismaying
- colorless
- dour
- lamentable
- plaintive
- threatening
- louring
- lowering
- lowery
- loury
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- bright
- comforting
- cheerful
- friendly
- cheery
- festive
- sunshiny
- cordial
- gay
- jolly
- merry
- buoyant
- joyous
- joyful
- gay
- blithe
- optimistic
- mirthful
- cheering
- hopeful
- blithesome
- heartwarming
- encouraging
- jocund
- lighthearted
- lightsome
6
as in dead
no longer living paramedics tried to revive him, but he was already cold Synonyms & Similar Words
- dead
- fallen
- late
- low
- lifeless
- asleep
- deceased
- dying
- gone
- breathless
- extinct
- departed
- bitten the dust
- defunct
- demised
- fading
- moribund
- finished
- inanimate
- insensate
- stillborn
- terminated
- lapsed
- nonliving
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- breathing
- quick
- alive
- live
- living
- going
- active
- dynamic
- vital
- vibrant
- lively
- operative
- functioning
- animated
- animate
- thriving
- running
- vivacious
cold
2 of 3noun
as in freeze
a weather condition marked by low temperatures the cold will stay with us for another day, then temperatures should rise Synonyms & Similar Words
- freeze
- coldness
- frost
- chill
- chilliness
- cold wave
- deep freeze
- bite
- chillness
- snap
- cold front
- frigidness
- nip
- wintriness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- heat
- heat wave
- dog days
- torridity
- torridness
cold
3 of 3adverb
as in plain
Synonyms & Similar Words
- plain
- downright
- stone
- stone-cold
- flat
- dead
- fast
- even
- clean
- quite
- absolutely
- all
- wide
- entire
- wholly
- all of
- entirely
- out
- utterly
- completely
- hands down
- enough
- perfectly
- all over
- thoroughly
- soundly
- totally
- mostly
- full
- fully
- mainly
- categorically
- unqualifiedly
- well
- predominantly
- principally
- predominately
- primarily
- plumb
- generally
- heartily
- largely
- substantially
- chiefly
- basically
- altogether
- overall
- by and large
- through and through
- exactly
- more or less
- generously
- abundantly
- greatly
- copiously
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- partially
- partly
- halfway
- slightly
- just
- half
- barely
- somewhat
- hardly
- marginally
- scarcely
- minimally
- incompletely
- superficially
- part
- approximately
- roughly
- kind of