Cool vs. Chill: Difference and Comparison
Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 16, 2023
"Cool" describes a moderate low temperature or a sense of calmness, while "chill" denotes coldness or a relaxed atmosphere.
Difference Between Cool and Chill
Cool and chill both describe temperature but at different levels. While cool typically denotes a mild decrease in temperature, often pleasant and refreshing, chill implies a colder atmosphere, sometimes to the point of discomfort.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
Both words have evolved into slang with cultural implications. Cool is a versatile term, often expressing approval, admiration, or trendiness. In contrast, chill can describe a laid-back demeanor or suggest a relaxed social gathering, as in "chill out" or "chill session."
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 16, 2023
In terms of physical sensations, cool can be refreshing, like a cool breeze on a warm day, whereas chill can indicate an uncomfortable coldness, like a chill running down one's spine.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
Cool has an extensive range of interpretations, such as being fashionably attractive or impressive. It can also signify being calm and composed, even under stress. Meanwhile, chill often relates more to atmospheres or attitudes, emphasizing relaxation or ease.
Jonathan
Sep 16, 2023
Thus, while cool and chill overlap in certain contexts, they have distinct connotations and uses. The former is broader, encompassing temperatures, attitudes, and trends, while the latter often narrows down to coldness or relaxation.
Kaitlyn
Sep 16, 2023
Cool vs. Chill Comparison Chart
Usage
Can describe temperature, attitudes, or trends
Often pertains to coldness or relaxation
Levi
Sep 16, 2023
Cool vs. Chill Definitions
◉Chill
A feeling of fear or apprehension.
The haunted house sent a chill down my spine.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
◉Cool
Neither warm nor very cold; moderately cold
fresh, cool water.
a cool autumn evening.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
A sensation of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor of the skin.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
A checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy
bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Marked by indifference, disdain, or dislike; unfriendly or unresponsive
a cool greeting.
was cool to the idea of higher taxes.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Of, relating to, or characteristic of colors, such as blue and green, that produce the impression of coolness.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Knowledgeable or aware of the latest trends or developments
spent all his time trying to be cool.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Excellent; first-rate
has a cool sports car.
had a cool time at the party.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
Discouraging; dispiriting
“Chill penury repressed their noble rage” (Thomas Gray).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Acceptable; satisfactory
It's cool if you don't want to talk about it.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
(Slang) Calm or relaxed
“As my meditation routine grew more stable...my already laid-back demeanor grew positively chill” (David Gelles).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To make less ardent, intense, or zealous
problems that soon cooled my enthusiasm for the project.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Composure; poise
"Our release marked a victory. The nation had kept its cool" (Moorhead Kennedy).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
There was a chill in the air.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Allowing or suggesting heat relief.
Linen has made cool and breathable clothing for millennia.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Of a color, in the range of violet to green.
If you have a reddish complexion, you should mainly wear cool colors.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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..
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Unenthusiastic, lukewarm, skeptical.
His proposals had a cool reception.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
The hardened part of a casting, such as the tread of a carriage wheel.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Applied facetiously to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) Of a person, knowing what to do and how to behave; considered popular by others.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) In fashion and fancy, part of or befitting the most leading trends and habits of the in crowd; originally hipster slang.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) Of an action, all right; acceptable; that does not present a problem.
Is it cool if I sleep here tonight?
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
Unwelcoming; not cordial.
Arriving late at the wedding, we were met with a chill reception.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) Very interesting or exciting.
I think astronomy is really cool.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) (followed by with) Able to tolerate; to be fine with.
I'm completely cool with my girlfriend leaving me.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
(slang) "Cool"; meeting a certain hip standard or garnering the approval of a certain peer group.
That new movie was chill, man.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(informal) (of a pair of people) holding no grudge against one another; having no beef.
We're cool, right?
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
(transitive) To lower the temperature of something; to cool.
Chill before serving.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.
in the cool of the morning
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To lose heat, to get colder.
I like to let my tea cool before drinking it so I don't burn my tongue.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
To "hang", hang out; to spend time with another person or group.
Hey, we should chill this weekend.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To become less intense, e.g. less amicable or passionate.
Relations cooled between the USA and the USSR after 1980.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
A moderate but disagreeable degree of cold; a disagreeable sensation of coolness, accompanied with shivering.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Moderately cold; between warm and cold; lacking in warmth; producing or promoting coolness.
Fanned with cool winds.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Not ardent, warm, fond, or passionate; not hasty; deliberate; exercising self-control; self-possessed; dispassionate; indifferent; as, a cool lover; a cool debater.
For a patriot, too cool.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
A check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling; discouragement; as, a chill comes over an assembly.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Manifesting coldness or dislike; chilling; apathetic; as, a cool manner.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Quietly impudent; negligent of propriety in matters of minor importance, either ignorantly or willfully; presuming and selfish; audacious; as, cool behavior.
Its cool stare of familiarity was intolerable.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
Moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly; raw.
Noisome winds, and blasting vapors chill.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Applied facetiously, in a vague sense, to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount.
He had lost a cool hundred.
Leaving a cool thousand to Mr. Matthew Pocket.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
A moderate state of cold; coolness; - said of the temperature of the air between hot and cold; as, the cool of the day; the cool of the morning or evening.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
Characterized by coolness of manner, feeling, etc.; lacking enthusiasm or warmth; formal; distant; as, a chill reception.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To make cool or cold; to reduce the temperature of; as, ice cools water.
Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To moderate the heat or excitement of; to allay, as passion of any kind; to calm; to moderate.
We have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
To strike with a chill; to make chilly; to cause to shiver; to affect with cold.
When winter chilled the day.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To become less hot; to lose heat.
I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus,the whilst his iron did on the anvil cool.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
To check enthusiasm or warmth of feeling of; to depress; to discourage.
Every thought on God chills the gayety of his spirits.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
To lose the heat of excitement or passion; to become more moderate.
I will not give myself liberty to think, lest I should cool.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉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.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
To become surface-hardened by sudden cooling while solidifying; as, some kinds of cast iron chill to a greater depth than others.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
an almost pleasurable sensation of fright;
a frisson of surprise shot through him
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
neither warm or very cold; giving relief from heat;
a cool autumn day
a cool room
cool summer dresses
cool drinks
a cool breeze
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Chill
depress or discourage;
The news of the city's surrender chilled the soldiers
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
marked by calm self-control (especially in trying circumstances); unemotional;
play it cool
keep cool
stayed coolheaded in the crisis
the most nerveless winner in the history of the tournament
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
(color) inducing the impression of coolness; used especially of greens and blues and violets;
cool greens and blues and violets
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
psychologically cool and unenthusiastic; unfriendly or unresponsive or showing dislike;
relations were cool and polite
a cool reception
cool to the idea of higher taxes
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
used of a number or sum and meaning without exaggeration or qualification;
a cool million bucks
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
fashionable and attractive at the time; often skilled or socially adept;
he's a cool dude
that's cool
Mary's dress is really cool
it's not cool to arrive at a party too early
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Cool
Having a slightly cold temperature.
The cool water refreshed her on the hot day.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
Cool vs. Chill Frequently Asked Questions
How have these terms evolved in slang?
"Cool" has been slang for trendy or great for decades, while "chill" in slang often means relaxed or unbothered.
Elijah
Sep 16, 2023
Is "chill" always about temperature?
No, "chill" can also describe a relaxed attitude or atmosphere.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 16, 2023
Do other languages use "cool" and "chill" in similar slang ways?
While many languages have their own slang for similar concepts, English terms are sometimes adopted or adapted.
Kaitlyn
Sep 16, 2023
Is "cool" always positive in connotation?
While often positive, "cool" can be neutral or even negative, depending on context.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
Can "cool" and "chill" be verbs?
Yes, you can "cool" your food and "chill" your drinks.
Muazma Batool
Sep 16, 2023
Is "chill out" the same as "cool down"?
"Chill out" means to relax, while "cool down" often refers to reducing temperature or calming emotions.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 16, 2023
Can you "have a chill" and "feel cool"?
Yes, "having a chill" often means feeling cold, while "feeling cool" can mean being at a comfortably low temperature.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 16, 2023
Is "cool" more formal than "chill"?
Both terms can be informal, but "cool" has broader applications and can appear in more formal contexts.
Levi
Sep 16, 2023
Which term is older in English?
Both terms have ancient roots, but "cool" has been in English longer, with Old English origins.
Henry
Sep 16, 2023
Are they interchangeable in sentences?
Sometimes, but not always, as they have distinct connotations and uses. Context matters.
Levi
Sep 16, 2023
Content Creators
Written by
Muneeza RehmanAt Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma BatoolAs a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.
