chilling

1 of 2

adjective

chill·​ing ˈchi-liŋ 

: gravely disturbing or frightening

a chilling case of abuse

chillingly

ˈchi-liŋ-lē 

adverb

chilling

2 of 2

present participle of chill entry 3

Synonyms

Adjective

• bitter
• bleak
• chill
• chilly
• nipping
• nippy
• raw
• sharp

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

Adjective

But the vampires’ descent on the juke joint ups the suspense and becomes genuinely scary, at first with the unsettling charm of their ancient leader, Remmick (Jack O’Connell, chilling), and eventually the brutal carnage of their siege. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025

This will have a chilling effect for founders and innovators in the crypto/digital asset space looking to build infrastructure, particularly involving privacy preserving technology. —Andrea Tinianow, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The chilling effect on expression and innovation would be especially pronounced for new market entrants. —Daryl Lim, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 2025

But the chilling effect among international travelers is starting to bear out in the numbers. —Vivian Song, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1815, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chilling

• bone-chilling
• spine-chilling

Rhymes for chilling

• billing
• drilling
• filling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling
• spilling

Kids Definition

chilling

adjective

chill·​ing ˈchil-iŋ 

: very disturbing or frightening

a chilling case of abuse

chillingly adverb