Chillout vs. Chill — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 25, 2024
Chillout music features slow tempos and relaxed moods, ideal for relaxation, whereas chill, often used as slang, suggests an act of calming down or a cool demeanor.
Difference Between Chillout and Chill
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Chillout is a genre of music characterized by its ambient, soothing sounds designed to invoke a sense of relaxation and tranquility. On the other hand, chill as a slang term refers to a state of calmness or the act of reducing stress.
Chillout music often includes atmospheric textures and slow rhythms that are perfect for unwinding or meditative activities. Whereas, telling someone to "chill" implies they need to cool off emotionally or reduce their intensity.
The origins of chillout music trace back to dance clubs in the 1990s as a way to relax club-goers after energetic dancing. On the other hand, the use of chill in colloquial language has evolved over decades, often used to advise someone to de-escalate their emotions.
Chillout tracks are typically instrumental, featuring synthesizers, ethereal vocals, and minimal beats. In contrast, using "chill" in conversation doesn’t involve music but rather describes someone’s relaxed demeanor or a situation that’s not overly intense.
While chillout is specifically a music genre, the term chill is versatile in usage, extending to describe a vibe, temperament, or even weather conditions, emphasizing its broader applicational range.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A genre of slow-paced, relaxing music.
A slang term for relaxing or calming down.
Usage
Strictly musical.
Broad, including emotions, actions, and atmosphere.
Origin
Emerged from 1990s dance culture.
Evolved from general English usage.
Typical Context
Played in lounges, during massages, or at home to relax.
Used in casual conversation to advise calmness.
Composition
Instrumental with ambient sounds.
Not applicable.
Compare with Definitions
Chillout
A musical genre emphasizing tranquility and relaxation.
I listen to chillout music during yoga to enhance the calming atmosphere.
Chill
To relax or calm down, often used as a command.
Just chill, everything will be okay.
Chillout
Music played to reduce stress or create a peaceful environment.
The spa always has chillout tracks playing in the background.
Chill
Cool or laid-back personality trait.
He has a really chill attitude toward work.
Chillout
Associated with laid-back leisure activities.
We played some chillout music at the party to set a relaxed vibe.
Chill
Describing a moderate, comfortable coolness.
The weather is chill enough for a light sweater.
Chillout
Often instrumental, featuring slow beats and atmospheric sounds.
This chillout song uses soft synthesizer sounds and gentle rhythms.
Chill
Casual expression to spend time relaxing.
Let's chill at my place tonight.
Chillout
A playlist category in music streaming services for ambient tracks.
My favorite Spotify station is the chillout channel.
Chill
Informal term used to describe an easy-going social gathering.
We're having a chill get-together this weekend.
Chillout
(colloquial) A period of quiet, rest and relaxation, especially after a party etc.
Chill
An unpleasant feeling of coldness in the atmosphere, one's surroundings, or the body
The draughty chill of the castle
There was a chill in the air
Heat exhaustion symptoms include nausea, chills, dizziness and dehydration
Chillout
(music) downtempo
Chill
A metal mould, often cooled, designed to ensure rapid or even cooling of metal during casting.
Chill
Make (someone) cold
They were chilled by a sudden wind
Chill
Horrify or frighten (someone)
The city was chilled by the violence
Chill
Calm down and relax
They like to get home, have a bath, and chill out
Chill
Chilly
The chill grey dawn
The chill winds of public censure
Chill
Very relaxed or easy-going
The island is really chill and laid-back
In general, I am a pretty chill guy
Chill
A moderate but penetrating coldness.
Chill
A sensation of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor of the skin.
Chill
A checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy
Bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
Chill
A sudden numbing fear or dread.
Chill
Moderately cold; chilly
A chill wind.
Chill
Not warm and friendly; distant
A chill greeting.
Chill
Discouraging; dispiriting
“Chill penury repressed their noble rage” (Thomas Gray).
Chill
(Slang) Calm or relaxed
“As my meditation routine grew more stable...my already laid-back demeanor grew positively chill” (David Gelles).
Chill
To affect with or as if with cold.
Chill
To lower in temperature; cool.
Chill
To make discouraged; dispirit.
Chill
(Metallurgy) To harden (a metallic surface) by rapid cooling.
Chill
To be seized with cold.
Chill
To become cold or set
Jelly that chills quickly.
Chill
(Metallurgy) To become hard by rapid cooling.
Chill
To calm down or relax. Often used with out.
Chill
To pass time idly; loiter.
Chill
To spend time with someone in a relaxed manner; hang out together.
Chill
A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
There was a chill in the air.
Chill
A sudden penetrating sense of cold, especially one that causes a brief trembling nerve response through the body; the trembling response itself; often associated with illness: fevers and chills, or susceptibility to illness.
Close the window or you'll catch a chill.
I felt a chill when the wind picked up.
Chill
An uncomfortable and numbing sense of fear, dread, anxiety, or alarm, often one that is sudden and usually accompanied by a trembling nerve response resembling the body's response to biting cold.
Despite the heat, he felt a chill as he entered the crime scene.
The actor's eerie portrayal sent chills through the audience.
His menacing presence cast a chill over everyone.
Chill
An iron mould or portion of a mould, serving to cool rapidly, and so to harden, the surface of molten iron brought in contact with it..
Chill
The hardened part of a casting, such as the tread of a carriage wheel.
Chill
A lack of warmth and cordiality; unfriendliness.
Chill
Calmness; equanimity.
Chill
A sense of style; trendiness; savoir faire.
Chill
Moderately cold or chilly.
A chill wind was blowing down the street.
Chill
Unwelcoming; not cordial.
Arriving late at the wedding, we were met with a chill reception.
Chill
(slang) Calm, relaxed, easygoing.
The teacher is really chill and doesn't care if you use your phone during class.
Paint-your-own ceramics studios are a chill way to express yourself while learning more about your date's right brain.
Chill
(slang) "Cool"; meeting a certain hip standard or garnering the approval of a certain peer group.
That new movie was chill, man.
Chill
(slang) Okay, not a problem.
Sorry about that. —It's chill.
Chill
(transitive) To lower the temperature of something; to cool.
Chill before serving.
Chill
(intransitive) To become cold.
In the wind he chilled quickly.
Chill
To harden a metal surface by sudden cooling.
Chill
To become hard by rapid cooling.
Chill
To relax; to lie back.
Chill, man, we've got a whole week to do it; no sense in getting worked up.
The new gym teacher really has to chill or he's gonna blow a gasket.
Chill
To "hang", hang out; to spend time with another person or group.
Hey, we should chill this weekend.
Chill
To smoke marijuana.
On Friday night do you wanna chill?
Chill
To discourage, depress.
Censorship chills public discourse.
Chill
A moderate but disagreeable degree of cold; a disagreeable sensation of coolness, accompanied with shivering.
Chill
A sensation of cold with convulsive shaking of the body, pinched face, pale skin, and blue lips, caused by undue cooling of the body or by nervous excitement, or forming the precursor of some constitutional disturbance, as of a fever.
Chill
A check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling; discouragement; as, a chill comes over an assembly.
Chill
An iron mold or portion of a mold, serving to cool rapidly, and so to harden, the surface of molten iron brought in contact with it.
Chill
The hardened part of a casting, as the tread of a car wheel.
Chill
Moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly; raw.
Noisome winds, and blasting vapors chill.
Chill
Affected by cold.
Chill
Characterized by coolness of manner, feeling, etc.; lacking enthusiasm or warmth; formal; distant; as, a chill reception.
Chill
Discouraging; depressing; dispiriting.
Chill
To strike with a chill; to make chilly; to cause to shiver; to affect with cold.
When winter chilled the day.
Chill
To check enthusiasm or warmth of feeling of; to depress; to discourage.
Every thought on God chills the gayety of his spirits.
Chill
To produce, by sudden cooling, a change of crystallization at or near the surface of, so as to increase the hardness; said of cast iron.
Chill
To become surface-hardened by sudden cooling while solidifying; as, some kinds of cast iron chill to a greater depth than others.
Chill
Coldness due to a cold environment
Chill
An almost pleasurable sensation of fright;
A frisson of surprise shot through him
Chill
A sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
Chill
A sudden numbing dread
Chill
Depress or discourage;
The news of the city's surrender chilled the soldiers
Chill
Make cool or cooler;
Chill the food
Chill
Loose heat;
The air cooled considerably after the thunderstorm
Chill
Uncomfortably cool;
A chill wind
Chilly weather
Common Curiosities
Is there a specific time or place that is best for listening to chillout music?
While chillout music can be enjoyed anytime, it is particularly effective in environments meant for relaxation or during activities like yoga or meditation.
What instruments are commonly used in chillout music?
Chillout music frequently features synthesizers, electronic pads, and sometimes acoustic elements like flutes or slow percussion.
Can "chill" be used to describe temperature?
Yes, "chill" can describe a cool or mildly cold temperature, as in "There's a chill in the air today."
What's the difference between chillout and ambient music?
While both are calm and atmospheric, chillout often incorporates a beat or rhythm, whereas ambient music might not have a discernible beat.
Is chillout music good for studying?
Yes, many people find the slow tempo and soothing sounds of chillout music ideal for creating a focused and calm studying environment.
Where did chillout music originate?
Chillout music originated in the early 1990s, especially within the chill rooms of dance clubs where club-goers would relax after dancing.
Is chillout music used in movies or TV shows?
Yes, chillout music is often used in film and television to enhance scenes requiring a tranquil or introspective mood.
How do people typically use the slang "chill" in conversations?
In conversation, "chill" is often used to advise someone to relax or to commend someone's calm and collected nature.
Are there subgenres within chillout music?
Yes, subgenres of chillout music include ambient, lounge, downtempo, and trip-hop, each offering different nuances in style and mood.
How has the meaning of "chill" evolved in popular culture?
Originally, "chill" simply meant cold, but over time it has taken on broader meanings related to relaxation and calmness in social contexts.
Can "chill" be used in a negative sense?
Yes, in some contexts, telling someone to chill can be perceived as dismissive or minimizing of their feelings.
How can someone incorporate chillout music into their daily routine?
Integrating chillout music into daily routines can be as simple as playing it during morning routines, as background music while working, or during evening relaxation times.
What role does chillout music play in wellness or self-care?
Chillout music is frequently incorporated into wellness practices as it aids in stress reduction and helps establish a peaceful mindset.
Can "chill" refer to a type of social event?
Yes, a "chill" event refers to a laid-back gathering where relaxation and casual interaction are prioritized.
What are some popular chillout music tracks or artists?
Artists like Moby, Air, and Zero 7 are renowned for their contributions to the chillout music genre.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited 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.
