Chilled vs. Cold — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 30, 2023
Chilled refers to something moderately cooled, often to a pleasant degree, while Cold indicates a lack of heat, often to an uncomfortable degree.
Difference Between Chilled and Cold
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Key Differences
Chilled and Cold are both adjectives that describe a decrease in temperature, but they carry different connotations and uses.
Chilled often implies that something has been intentionally cooled down, typically to enhance its appeal or make it more refreshing. A "chilled drink," for example, is one that's been cooled to be more enjoyable. Conversely, Cold describes a more general state of low temperature, and it can often carry connotations of discomfort or the absence of warmth.
In everyday language, Chilled can also denote a relaxed or calm demeanor, as in "chilled vibes." Cold, on the other hand, can describe a person's demeanor as unemotional or distant.
When discussing weather, Cold is often used to describe temperatures that are uncomfortably low. Meanwhile, Chilled isn't commonly used in this context, but when it is, it suggests a crisp, refreshing coolness rather than extreme coldness.
Technically, both terms can be relative; what one person considers Cold might feel just Chilled to another. But in general, Cold is more extreme and can suggest discomfort, while Chilled often indicates a moderate and sometimes intentional reduction in temperature.
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Comparison Chart
Degree of Temperature
Moderately cooled
Lack of heat, often extreme
Common Usage
Refreshing items, relaxed demeanor
General low temperature, distant demeanor
Connotation
Intentional, often pleasant
Can be uncomfortable or neutral
Context
Food, drinks, ambiance
Weather, feelings, touch
Intensity
Less intense
More intense
Compare with Definitions
Chilled
Cooled to a moderate degree.
I prefer my wine chilled before serving.
Cold
Unpleasantly surprised; shocked.
The news left me cold.
Chilled
Free from tension or anxiety.
The spa left me feeling completely chilled.
Cold
Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception.
Chilled
Relaxed or calm.
He had a chilled approach to life's problems.
Cold
Having a low temperature
Cold water.
Chilled
A moderate but penetrating coldness.
Cold
Being at a temperature that is less than what is required or what is normal
Cold oatmeal.
Chilled
A sensation of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor of the skin.
Cold
Chilled by refrigeration or ice
Cold beer.
Chilled
A checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy
Bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
Cold
Feeling no warmth; uncomfortably chilled
We were cold sitting by the drafty windows.
Chilled
A sudden numbing fear or dread.
Cold
Appearing to be dead; unconscious
Found him out cold on the floor.
Chilled
Moderately cold; chilly
A chill wind.
Cold
Dead
Was cold in his grave.
Chilled
Not warm and friendly; distant
A chill greeting.
Cold
Lacking emotion; objective
Cold logic.
Chilled
Discouraging; dispiriting
“Chill penury repressed their noble rage” (Thomas Gray).
Cold
Having little appeal to the senses or feelings
A cold decor.
Chilled
(Slang) Calm or relaxed
“As my meditation routine grew more stable...my already laid-back demeanor grew positively chill” (David Gelles).
Cold
Designating or being in a tone or color, such as pale gray, that suggests little warmth.
Chilled
To affect with or as if with cold.
Cold
Not affectionate or friendly; aloof
A cold person.
A cold nod.
Chilled
To lower in temperature; cool.
Cold
Exhibiting or feeling no enthusiasm
A cold audience.
A cold response to the new play.
A concert that left me cold.
Chilled
To make discouraged; dispirit.
Cold
Devoid of sexual desire; frigid.
Chilled
(Metallurgy) To harden (a metallic surface) by rapid cooling.
Cold
Having lost all freshness or vividness through passage of time
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent.
Chilled
To be seized with cold.
Cold
So intense as to be almost uncontrollable
Cold fury.
Chilled
To become cold or set
Jelly that chills quickly.
Cold
Characterized by repeated failure, especially in a sport or competitive activity
The team fell into a slump of cold shooting.
Chilled
(Metallurgy) To become hard by rapid cooling.
Cold
To an unqualified degree; totally
Was cold sober.
Chilled
To calm down or relax. Often used with out.
Cold
With complete finality
We turned him down cold.
Chilled
To pass time idly; loiter.
Cold
Without advance preparation or introduction
Took the exam cold and passed.
Walked in cold and got the new job.
Chilled
To spend time with someone in a relaxed manner; hang out together.
Cold
Relative lack of warmth
Cold slows down chemical reactions.
Chilled
Cooled.
The chilled beer was refreshing on the hot day.
Cold
The sensation resulting from lack of warmth; chill.
Chilled
Chilled out; relaxed
Cold
A condition of low air temperature; cold weather
Went out into the cold and got a chill.
Chilled
Hardened on the surface or edge by chilling; as, chilled iron; a chilled wheel.
Cold
A viral infection characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the upper respiratory passages and usually accompanied by malaise, fever, chills, coughing, and sneezing. Also called common cold, coryza.
Chilled
Having that cloudiness or dimness of surface that is called "blooming."
Cold
(of a thing) Having a low temperature.
A cold wind whistled through the trees.
Chilled
Made cold by refrigeration.
The dessert should be served chilled.
Cold
(of the weather) Causing the air to be cold.
The forecast is that it will be very cold today.
Chilled
Not heated or at room temperature.
She served the soup chilled instead of hot.
Cold
(of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.
She was so cold she was shivering.
Cold
Unfriendly; emotionally distant or unfeeling.
She shot me a cold glance before turning her back.
Cold
Dispassionate; not prejudiced or partisan; impartial.
Let's look at this tomorrow with a cold head.
He's a nice guy, but the cold facts say we should fire him.
The cold truth is that states rarely undertake military action unless their national interests are at stake.
Cold
Completely unprepared; without introduction.
He was assigned cold calls for the first three months.
Cold
Unconscious or deeply asleep; deprived of the metaphorical heat associated with life or consciousness.
I knocked him out cold.
After one more beer he passed out cold.
Cold
(usually with "have" or "know" transitively) Perfectly, exactly, completely; by heart; down pat.
Practice your music scales until you know them cold.
Try both these maneuvers until you have them cold and can do them in the dark without thinking.
Rehearse your lines until you have them down cold.
Keep that list in front of you, or memorize it cold.
Cold
(usually with "have" transitively) Cornered; done for.
With that receipt, we have them cold for fraud.
Criminal interrogation. Initially they will dream up explanations faster than you could ever do so, but when they become fatigued, often they will acknowledge that you have them cold.
Cold
(obsolete) Not pungent or acrid.
Cold
(obsolete) Unexciting; dull; uninteresting.
Cold
Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.
A cold scent
Cold
(obsolete) Not sensitive; not acute.
Cold
Distant; said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed. Compare warm and hot.
You're cold … getting warmer … hot! You've found it!
Cold
(painting) Having a bluish effect; not warm in colour.
Cold
(databases) Rarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.
Cold
(informal) Without compassion; heartless; ruthless.
I can't believe she said that...that was cold!
Cold
(informal) Not radioactive.
Cold
(firearm) Not loaded with a round of live ammunition.
Cold
Without electrical power being supplied.
Cold
A condition of low temperature.
Come in, out of the cold.
Cold
A harsh place; a place of abandonment.
The former politician was left out in the cold after his friends deserted him.
Cold
(medicine) A common, usually harmless, viral illness, usually with congestion of the nasal passages and sometimes fever.
I caught a miserable cold and had to stay home for a week
Cold
(slang) rheum, sleepy dust
Cold
At a low temperature.
The steel was processed cold.
Cold
Without preparation.
The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic.
Cold
In a cold, frank, or realistically honest manner.
Cold
Deprived of heat, or having a low temperature; not warm or hot; gelid; frigid.
Cold
Lacking the sensation of warmth; suffering from the absence of heat; chilly; shivering; as, to be cold.
Cold
Not pungent or acrid.
Cold
Wanting in ardor, intensity, warmth, zeal, or passion; spiritless; unconcerned; reserved.
A cold and unconcerned spectator.
No cold relation is a zealous citizen.
Cold
Unwelcome; disagreeable; unsatisfactory.
Cold
Wanting in power to excite; dull; uninteresting.
What a deal of cold business doth a man misspend the better part of life in!
The jest grows cold . . . when in comes on in a second scene.
Cold
Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) but feebly; having lost its odor; as, a cold scent.
Cold
Not sensitive; not acute.
Smell this business with a sense as coldAs is a dead man's nose.
Cold
Distant; - said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed.
Cold
Having a bluish effect. Cf. Warm, 8.
He was slain in cold blood after the fight was over.
Cold
The relative absence of heat or warmth.
Cold
The sensation produced by the escape of heat; chilliness or chillness.
When she saw her lord prepared to part,A deadly cold ran shivering to her heart.
Cold
A morbid state of the animal system produced by exposure to cold or dampness; a catarrh.
Cold
To become cold.
Cold
A mild viral infection involving the nose and respiratory passages (but not the lungs);
Will they never find a cure for the common cold?
Cold
The absence of heat;
The coldness made our breath visible
Come in out of the cold
Cold is a vasoconstrictor
Cold
The sensation produced by low temperatures;
He shivered from the cold
The cold helped clear his head
Cold
Used of physical coldness; having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration;
A cold climate
A cold room
Dinner has gotten cold
Cold fingers
If you are cold, turn up the heat
A cold beer
Cold
Extended meanings; especially of psychological coldness; without human warmth or emotion;
A cold unfriendly nod
A cold and unaffectionate person
A cold impersonal manner
Cold logic
The concert left me cold
Cold
Having lost freshness through passage of time;
A cold trail
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent
Cold
(color) giving no sensation of warmth;
A cold bluish gray
Cold
Marked by errorless familiarity;
Had her lines cold before rehearsals started
Cold
No longer new; uninteresting;
Cold (or stale) news
Cold
So intense as to be almost uncontrollable;
Cold fury gripped him
Cold
Sexually unresponsive;
Was cold to his advances
A frigid woman
Cold
Without compunction or human feeling;
In cold blood
Cold-blooded killing
Insensate destruction
Cold
Feeling or showing no enthusiasm;
A cold audience
A cold response to the new play
Cold
Unconscious from a blow or shock or intoxication;
The boxer was out cold
Pass out cold
Cold
Of a seeker; far from the object sought
Cold
Lacking the warmth of life;
Cold in his grave
Cold
Having a low temperature.
The water was too cold for swimming.
Cold
Lacking warmth or emotion.
He gave me a cold stare.
Cold
Distant or unfriendly in manner.
She received a cold reception at the event.
Common Curiosities
Would "chilled winds" and "cold winds" mean the same?
Not exactly. Chilled winds suggest a refreshing coolness, while cold winds imply a more discomforting coldness.
Is Chilled colder than Cold?
No, Chilled often denotes moderate cooling, while Cold can indicate more extreme low temperatures.
Can Cold have emotional implications?
Yes, it can describe someone as distant or unemotional.
Are Chilled and Cold always about temperature?
No, they can describe emotional states, preparedness levels, and more.
Is "cold to the touch" the same as "chilled to the touch"?
Not quite. "Cold to the touch" often means noticeably low temperature, while "chilled" might feel cooler but not extremely so.
Can Chilled be used for describing moods?
Yes, it can denote a relaxed or calm demeanor, as in "chilled out."
Does "served cold" mean the same as "served chilled"?
Not always. "Served cold" could mean any low temperature, while "served chilled" often implies intentional and moderate cooling.
How can I use Chilled in the context of music?
It can describe a relaxed or calm genre, like "chilled beats."
Can Chilled mean "frozen"?
No, chilled denotes moderate cooling, while frozen indicates a solidified state due to cold.
Which term is more versatile, Chilled or Cold?
Cold is more versatile and can be applied in diverse contexts, from temperature to emotions.
How does one decide between Chilled and Cold for drinks?
Chilled drinks are moderately cooled, often for pleasure, while cold drinks are simply of a low temperature.
Can Chilled be used metaphorically?
Yes, as in "chilled to the bone" which means deeply affected by cold or fear.
How can I use Cold in the context of familiarity?
As in "going in cold," which means without preparation or prior knowledge.
Can Cold be used in positive contexts?
Yes, like in "cold hard cash" where it denotes certainty.
What's the difference in usage between Cold weather and Chilled weather?
Cold weather suggests uncomfortably low temperatures, while Chilled weather implies a crisp, refreshing coolness.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
