: gravely disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chilling
2 of 2present participle of chill entry 3
Examples of chilling in a Sentence
Adjective
a Southern visitor who was unused to the chilling air of a Northeast winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 8 June 2025
Foreign governments often rely on the chilling effect accomplished by coming down hard on a few companies using any of the tactics mentioned above and making sure the others get the message.
—Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Students and professors at Columbia wrote about the chilling effect Khalil's arrest has had on campus life, with people afraid to attend protests or participate in groups that can be viewed as critical of the Trump administration.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
This adaptation doesn’t shy away from the novella’s chilling themes.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chilling
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Adjective
The opening chords of the horror are chilling, and by the end it’s all crescendoed into a symphony of pain, survival, and heart.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 8 June 2025
Foreign governments often rely on the chilling effect accomplished by coming down hard on a few companies using any of the tactics mentioned above and making sure the others get the message.
—Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Students and professors at Columbia wrote about the chilling effect Khalil's arrest has had on campus life, with people afraid to attend protests or participate in groups that can be viewed as critical of the Trump administration.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
This adaptation doesn’t shy away from the novella’s chilling themes.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chilling
Cite this Entry
“Chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chilling. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chilling
adjective
chill·ing
ˈchil-iŋ 
: very disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chillingly
adverb
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