Chilled vs. Cold: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Chilled implies a moderate coolness, often desirable, while cold denotes a lower, sometimes uncomfortably low temperature.
Key Differences
Chilled refers to a state of coolness that is often pleasant or intended, like a chilled beverage. Cold, in contrast, suggests a more severe or extreme state of low temperature, which can be uncomfortable or harsh, like a cold winter day.
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Dec 12, 2023
In culinary terms, chilled often describes food or drinks cooled to a desirable level, enhancing taste or texture. Cold, however, might imply an undesirable level of coolness, potentially impacting flavor or appeal, such as food that has gone cold.
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Dec 12, 2023
Chilled is also used figuratively to imply a relaxed or calm state, as in "chilled out." Cold, conversely, can describe an emotional distance or lack of warmth in behavior, like a cold demeanor.
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Dec 12, 2023
In physical sensations, chilled might refer to a slight, often refreshing coolness on the skin. Cold, on the other hand, often indicates a more intense and potentially unpleasant sensation of low temperature.
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Dec 12, 2023
When considering environmental conditions, chilled might describe a mild and comfortable coolness in the air. In contrast, cold can refer to harsh, severe weather conditions that require protective clothing.
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Dec 12, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Temperature Range
Moderately cool, often pleasant
Significantly low, often uncomfortable
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Dec 12, 2023
Culinary Use
Food or drinks cooled to enhance flavor
Food or drinks unpleasantly cool
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Dec 12, 2023
Physical Sensation
Mild, refreshing coolness
Intense, often unpleasant coldness
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Dec 12, 2023
Environmental Condition
Comfortably cool weather
Harsh, severe low temperatures
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Dec 12, 2023
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Chilled and Cold Definitions
Chilled
Moderately cool.
The chilled wine was perfect for the summer evening.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
Informal for feeling at ease.
On weekends, he’s totally chilled and stress-free.
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Dec 05, 2023
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Chilled
Cooled in a refrigerator.
The chef served the chilled soup on a hot day.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Being at a temperature that is less than what is required or what is normal
Cold oatmeal.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
Slightly cold in a pleasant way.
A chilled breeze swept through the garden.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Feeling no warmth; uncomfortably chilled
We were cold sitting by the drafty windows.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
A sensation of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor of the skin.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
A checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy
Bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Designating or being in a tone or color, such as pale gray, that suggests little warmth.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
Discouraging; dispiriting
“Chill penury repressed their noble rage” (Thomas Gray).
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
(Slang) Calm or relaxed
“As my meditation routine grew more stable...my already laid-back demeanor grew positively chill” (David Gelles).
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Exhibiting or feeling no enthusiasm
A cold audience.
A cold response to the new play.
A concert that left me cold.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Having lost all freshness or vividness through passage of time
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Characterized by repeated failure, especially in a sport or competitive activity
The team fell into a slump of cold shooting.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Without advance preparation or introduction
Took the exam cold and passed.
Walked in cold and got the new job.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
A condition of low air temperature; cold weather
Went out into the cold and got a chill.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
(of a thing) Having a low temperature.
A cold wind whistled through the trees.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
Hardened on the surface or edge by chilling; as, chilled iron; a chilled wheel.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
(of the weather) Causing the air to be cold.
The forecast is that it will be very cold today.
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Dec 05, 2023
Chilled
Having that cloudiness or dimness of surface that is called "blooming."
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
(of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.
She was so cold she was shivering.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Unfriendly; emotionally distant or unfeeling.
She shot me a cold glance before turning her back.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Completely unprepared; without introduction.
He was assigned cold calls for the first three months.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.
A cold scent
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Dec 05, 2023
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!
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
(databases) Rarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
(informal) Without compassion; heartless; ruthless.
I can't believe she said that...that was cold!
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
A harsh place; a place of abandonment.
The former politician was left out in the cold after his friends deserted him.
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Dec 05, 2023
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
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Without preparation.
The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Deprived of heat, or having a low temperature; not warm or hot; gelid; frigid.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Lacking the sensation of warmth; suffering from the absence of heat; chilly; shivering; as, to be cold.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Wanting in ardor, intensity, warmth, zeal, or passion; spiritless; unconcerned; reserved.
A cold and unconcerned spectator.
No cold relation is a zealous citizen.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) but feebly; having lost its odor; as, a cold scent.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Not sensitive; not acute.
Smell this business with a sense as coldAs is a dead man's nose.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Distant; - said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Having a bluish effect. Cf. Warm, 8.
He was slain in cold blood after the fight was over.
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Dec 05, 2023
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.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
A morbid state of the animal system produced by exposure to cold or dampness; a catarrh.
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Dec 05, 2023
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?
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
The absence of heat;
The coldness made our breath visible
Come in out of the cold
Cold is a vasoconstrictor
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
The sensation produced by low temperatures;
He shivered from the cold
The cold helped clear his head
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Dec 05, 2023
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
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Dec 05, 2023
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
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Having lost freshness through passage of time;
A cold trail
Dogs attempting to catch a cold scent
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Marked by errorless familiarity;
Had her lines cold before rehearsals started
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Without compunction or human feeling;
In cold blood
Cold-blooded killing
Insensate destruction
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Feeling or showing no enthusiasm;
A cold audience
A cold response to the new play
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Unconscious from a blow or shock or intoxication;
The boxer was out cold
Pass out cold
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Cold
Low temperature, often uncomfortably so.
The cold weather made her shiver.
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Dec 05, 2023
Cold
Fresh or uncooked in culinary terms.
He preferred cold sandwiches for lunch.
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Dec 05, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can 'cold' be used to describe feelings?
Yes, cold can describe emotional detachment or a lack of warmth in interactions.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 12, 2023
What does 'chilled' imply in beverages?
Chilled beverages are cooled to a refreshing, pleasant temperature.
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Dec 12, 2023
Can 'chilled' mean slightly cold?
Yes, it can imply a mild, often pleasant coolness.
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Dec 12, 2023
Is 'chilled' used in cooking?
Yes, for food or drinks cooled to enhance flavor or texture.
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Dec 12, 2023
Can 'chilled' describe room temperature?
Not typically; it implies a cooler than room temperature.
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Dec 12, 2023
Is 'catching a cold' a literal term?
It's an idiomatic expression for contracting a common cold virus.
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Dec 12, 2023
How does 'cold' relate to weather?
Cold weather is characterized by low temperatures, often requiring warm clothing.
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Dec 12, 2023
Can 'cold' be positive in context?
Yes, in contexts like 'cold water on a hot day.'
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Dec 12, 2023
Is 'chilled out' a formal phrase?
No, it's an informal phrase meaning relaxed or at ease.
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Dec 12, 2023
What does a 'cold' personality mean?
It refers to an unemotional, distant demeanor.
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Dec 12, 2023
Is 'chilled' a formal term?
It's more casual and often used in everyday conversation.
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Dec 12, 2023
What's a 'cold hard fact'?
It's a term for an undeniable, often unpleasant truth.
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Dec 12, 2023
What does 'chilled to the bone' mean?
It's an expression meaning very cold physically.
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Dec 12, 2023
Can 'cold' describe a physical sensation?
Yes, it can describe feeling very low temperatures.
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Dec 12, 2023
Does 'cold' always have a negative connotation?
Often, but not always, especially in phrases like 'cold drink.'
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Dec 12, 2023
Does 'chilled' imply refrigeration?
It often does, especially in culinary contexts.
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Dec 12, 2023
What does a 'cold shoulder' mean?
It's an idiom for deliberately ignoring someone.
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Dec 12, 2023
Is 'chilled' the same as 'frozen'?
No, chilled is cooler than room temperature but not frozen.
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Dec 12, 2023
Can 'chilled' refer to relaxation?
Yes, especially in phrases like 'chilled out.'
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Dec 12, 2023
What is a 'cold case' in law enforcement?
It refers to a criminal investigation that has not been solved for a long time.
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Dec 12, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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