adj

cold

kohld

adj

Having a low temperature; not warm.

"The water in the lake was freezing cold."

"Put your coat on, it's cold outside."

Unfriendly or emotionally distant; lacking warmth toward other people.

"His cold reply made it clear he wasn't interested."

"She gave him a cold stare and walked off."

Not prepared or warmed up; done without practice or introduction.

"He walked into the interview cold, with no idea what to expect."

noun

A common mild illness that causes a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and sometimes a sore throat.

"She caught a cold from her nephew over the weekend."

"Drink plenty of fluids when you have a cold."

How to Use Cold

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLow temperature (weather, food, drink), or a personality that feels distant and unfeeling, or the sniffly illness everyone gets in winter.

Common mistake

Don't mix up having "a cold" (the illness) with feeling "cold" (the temperature) — "I have a cold" and "I feel cold" mean very different things.

Common pairings

stone cold catch a cold cold shoulder go cold

Word Forms

colder comparative, more cold comparative, colds plural, coldest superlative, most cold superlative

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The water in the lake was freezing _____.

Etymology

From Old English cald/ceald, going back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Indo-European root meaning "cold" — the same root that gave German kalt and Swedish kall.

Synonyms

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algid Arctic Baltic boreal brass monkeys brumal chill chilled clay-cold chilly cold as a mackerel cold as charity

Antonyms

hot warm

Related Words

new north hot warm light beautiful southern dead

Rhymes for cold

old gold bold hold sold fold mold scold ahold behold uphold untold

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