Chilly
adjective
Definition
1. (adjective) Unpleasantly cold, but not freezing — used for weather, places, or physical sensations.
2. (adjective) Unfriendly or unwelcoming in manner — used to describe a person's attitude or the atmosphere between people.
2. (adjective) Unfriendly or unwelcoming in manner — used to describe a person's attitude or the atmosphere between people.
Context Alive
You step outside on an October morning in a T-shirt and instantly regret it. The air is chilly and you can see your breath. You stand there for a second, arms crossed, then go back inside for a jacket. Your flatmate laughs and says she tried to warn you. It is that time of year when the mornings trick you — sunny but cold.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 Unpleasantly Cold (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about a temperature that makes you uncomfortable — cold enough to notice and want to put on another layer, but not extreme. Imagine waiting for a bus on a November evening without a scarf — the wind hits your neck and it feels chilly. This is describing a mild but noticeable cold that gets under your skin. You might say "it's a bit chilly in here, shall I close the window?" in an office, or someone could say "the evenings are getting chilly now" as autumn settles in. Or picture stepping out of a warm swimming pool into the open air — the breeze on your wet skin feels instantly chilly. The word suggests discomfort rather than danger — you want a jacket, not a survival kit.
✏️ Chilly sits between "cool" and "cold" on the temperature scale. "Cool" can be pleasant, "cold" is strong, but chilly is specifically unpleasant without being extreme. British people use it constantly to describe the weather — "a bit chilly" is one of the most common weather comments in the UK. It works for the air, rooms, water, wind, and mornings.
2 Unfriendly or Unwelcoming (Adjective) Common ▼
This meaning is about a person's behaviour or the mood between people — cold, distant, and not warm at all. Imagine arriving at a dinner party where two of the guests have recently had a big argument — the atmosphere between them is chilly and everyone can feel it. This is describing social coldness, not physical temperature. You might say "she gave me a chilly reception when I walked in" about someone who was clearly not happy to see you, or someone could say "relations between the two countries have turned chilly" in a news report. Or picture meeting your partner's parents for the first time and getting nothing but short answers and cold stares — the welcome is chilly at best. The word suggests quiet hostility or distance rather than open anger.
✏️ This figurative use follows the same logic as other temperature words used for emotions — "warm" means friendly, "cold" means hostile, and chilly means somewhere in between: not aggressive, but clearly not welcoming. "A chilly reception," "a chilly atmosphere," and "chilly relations" are the most common phrases. It is a subtle, controlled way of saying someone was unfriendly.
Common Patterns
Temperature Meaning
it's chilly → the simplest and most common way to comment on the cold
It's quite chilly outside — you might want a coat.
a chilly + noun (morning, evening, wind, day) → describing when or what is cold
We woke up to a chilly morning with frost on the windows.
feel chilly → to physically feel cold
I'm starting to feel a bit chilly — can we go inside?
Unfriendly Meaning
a chilly reception → being greeted in an unfriendly or unwelcoming way
The new manager got a chilly reception from the team.
a chilly atmosphere → a mood between people that feels tense and cold
There was a chilly atmosphere in the room after the argument.
chilly relations → a distant, unfriendly relationship between people or groups
Chilly relations between the neighbours made the street uncomfortable for everyone.
Collocations
10 collocationschilly morning
a morning that is unpleasantly cold
chilly evening
an evening when the temperature drops uncomfortably
chilly wind
a cold breeze that makes you shiver
chilly weather
generally cold and unpleasant outdoor conditions
a bit chilly
slightly cold — a very common casual expression
chilly reception
an unfriendly or cold welcome
chilly atmosphere
a tense, unwelcoming mood between people
chilly relations
a distant, unfriendly relationship
feel chilly
to physically notice the cold
turn chilly
to become colder — used for both weather and social situations
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
It was a chilly November morning and the streets were almost empty.
It was a cold morning in November and hardly anyone was out on the streets.
2
Can you close the window? It's getting a bit chilly in here.
Would you shut the window? It's starting to feel a little cold inside.
3
She wrapped herself in a blanket because the house felt chilly without the heating on.
She pulled a blanket around herself because the house was cold with no heating running.
4
The proposal received a chilly reception from the board of directors.
The idea was met with a cold and unenthusiastic response from the board members.
5
A chilly wind blew across the beach and sent everyone reaching for their jackets.
A cold breeze swept over the sand and made everyone grab their coats.
6
Relations between the two companies have turned chilly since the contract dispute.
The relationship between the two firms has become cold and distant after the disagreement over the deal.
7
The evenings are starting to get chilly — summer is definitely over.
The nights are turning colder now — the warm weather is clearly finished.
8
He got a chilly look from his wife after arriving home two hours late.
His wife gave him a cold stare when he walked in two hours after he was expected.
9
We sat outside for dinner but it was too chilly to enjoy it properly.
We tried eating outdoors but the cold made it hard to have a good time.
10
The atmosphere in the meeting room was chilly after the boss criticised the team publicly.
The mood in the meeting room was tense and cold after the manager called the team out in front of everyone.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymscold
stronger and more direct — can mean anything from mildly cold to freezing
cool
milder and often pleasant — less unpleasant than chilly
frosty
works for both temperature (very cold) and attitude (very unfriendly)
Antonymswarm
comfortable temperature, or friendly and welcoming in manner
mild
gentle temperature — not cold at all
welcoming
for the social meaning — open, friendly, and inviting