adj Uncommon

chilling

CHIH-lihng

Chilling (adj) means causing fear or horror. Example: “The documentary told a chilling account of the disaster.”

adj

Causing fear or horror.

"The documentary told a chilling account of the disaster."

"It was chilling to hear how close they came to danger."

Making something cold.

"A chilling wind blew off the lake."

noun

The process of cooling something down.

"Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll out."

How to Use Chilling

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething that either frightens you deeply, or that cools something down.

Common pairings

a chilling effect chilling news chilling story

more chilling comparative, chillings plural, most chilling superlative

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The documentary told a _____ account of the disaster.

The -ing form of "chill", used from Middle English onward.

Origin: Middle English

willing killing filling milling billing drilling spilling grilling trilling Shilling unwilling thrilling

What does “chilling” mean?

The word “chilling” means causing fear or horror. In plain terms, something that either frightens you deeply, or that cools something down.

How do you pronounce “chilling”?

“Chilling” is pronounced CHIH-lihng (/ˈt͡ʃɪlɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “chilling” in a sentence?

Here is “chilling” used in a sentence: “The documentary told a chilling account of the disaster.”

What part of speech is “chilling”?

Depending on how it is used, “chilling” can be an adjective and a noun.

Where does the word “chilling” come from?

The word “chilling” comes from Middle English. The -ing form of "chill", used from Middle English onward.

Is “chilling” a common word?

“Chilling” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “chilling” have?

“Chilling” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: causing fear or horror.