cool

[ kool ]

adjective

, cool·er, cool·est.

1. moderately cold; neither warm nor cold:

   a rather cool evening.

   Antonyms: warm

2. feeling comfortably or moderately cold:

   I'm perfectly cool, but open the window if you feel hot.

3. imparting a sensation of moderate coldness or comfortable freedom from heat:

   a cool breeze.

   Antonyms: warm

4. permitting such a sensation:

   a cool dress.

   Antonyms: warm

5. not excited; calm; composed; under control:

   to remain cool in the face of disaster.

   Synonyms: quiet, placid, unruffled, self-possessed, collected

6. not hasty; deliberate:

   a cool and calculated action.

7. lacking in interest or enthusiasm:

   a cool reply to an invitation.

   Synonyms: lukewarm, remote, reserved, apathetic, distant

   Antonyms: warm

8. lacking in warmth or cordiality:

   a cool reception.

   Synonyms: lukewarm, remote, reserved, apathetic, distant

   Antonyms: warm

9. calmly audacious or impudent:

   a cool lie.

10. aloof or unresponsive; indifferent:

    He was cool to her passionate advances.

11. unaffected by emotions; disinterested; dispassionate:

    She made a cool appraisal of all the issues in the dispute.

12. Informal. (of a number or sum) without exaggeration or qualification:

    a cool million dollars.

13. (of colors) with green, blue, or violet predominating.
14. Slang.
    1. great; fine; excellent:

       a real cool comic.

    2. characterized by great facility; highly skilled or clever:

       cool maneuvers on the parallel bars.

    3. socially adept:

       It's not cool to arrive at a party too early.

    4. acceptable; satisfactory; okay:

       If you want to stay late, that's cool.

adverb

1. Informal. coolly.

interjection

1. Slang.
   1. (used to express acceptance):

      Okay, cool! I'll be there at 10:00.

   2. (used to express approval, admiration, etc.):

      He got the job? Cool!

noun

1. something that is cool; a cool part, place, time, etc.:

   in the cool of the evening.

2. coolness.
3. calmness; composure; poise:

   an executive noted for maintaining her cool under pressure.

verb (used without object)

1. to become cool (sometimes followed by down or off ):

   The soup cooled in five minutes. We cooled off in the mountain stream.

2. to become less ardent, cordial, etc.; become moderate.

verb (used with object)

1. to make cool; impart a sensation of coolness to.
2. to lessen the ardor or intensity of; allay; calm; moderate:

   Disappointment cooled his early zealousness.

   Synonyms: abate, temper

verb phrase

1. Informal. to become calmer or more reasonable:

   Wait until he cools off before you talk to him again.

2. cooldown ( def ).
3. Slang. to calm or settle down; relax:

   cooling out at the beach.

cool

/ kuːl /

adjective

1. moderately cold

   a cool day

2. comfortably free of heat

   a cool room

3. producing a pleasant feeling of coldness

   a cool shirt

4. able to conceal emotion; calm

   a cool head

5. lacking in enthusiasm, affection, cordiality, etc

   a cool welcome

6. calmly audacious or impudent
7. informal.
   (esp of numbers, sums of money, etc) without exaggeration; actual

   a cool ten thousand

8. (of a colour) having violet, blue, or green predominating; cold
9. (of jazz) characteristic of the late 1940s and early 1950s, economical and rhythmically relaxed
10. informal.
    sophisticated or elegant, esp in an unruffled way
11. informal.
    excellent; marvellous

adverb

1. not_standard.
   in a cool manner; coolly

noun

1. coolness

   the cool of the evening

2. slang.
   calmness; composure (esp in the phrases keep or lose one's cool )
3. slang.
   unruffled elegance or sophistication

verb

1. usually foll bydown or off to make or become cooler
2. usually foll bydown or off to lessen the intensity of (anger or excitement) or (of anger or excitement) to become less intense; calm down
3. cool it slang.
   usually imperative to calm down; take it easy
4. cool one's heels
   to wait or be kept waiting

Derived Forms

• ˈcoolness, noun
• ˈcoolly, adverb
• ˈcoolish, adjective
• ˈcoolingly, adverb
• ˈcoolingness, noun

Other Words From

• cool·ing·ly adverb
• cool·ish adjective
• cool·ly adverb
• cool·ness noun
• o·ver·cool adjective
• o·ver·cool·ly adverb
• o·ver·cool·ness noun
• re·cool verb
• sub·cool verb (used with object)
• ul·tra·cool adjective
• un·cooled adjective
• well-cooled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cool¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English col, coul, Old English cōl; cognate with Middle Low German kōl, Old High German kuoli, German kühl; cold, chill

Word History and Origins

Origin of cool¹

Old English cōl; related to Old Norse kōlna, Old High German kuoli; see cold , chill

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cool it, Slang. calm down; take it easy.
2. blow one's cool. blow ²( def 48 ).
3. cool one's heels. heel ¹( def 29 ).

More idioms and phrases containing cool

• keep cool
• keep one's cool
• play it cool

Synonym Study

See cold. See calm.

Example Sentences

“And I thought he had the coolest shirts I’d ever seen in my life.”

From Los Angeles Times

With 2023 being the hottest year on record and 25% of the global population experiencing dangerous levels of extreme heat, canopy cover was urgently needed to cool down our cities, he said.

From Science Daily

Buildings require considerable energy to heat and cool, so thermal energy storage offers an opportunity to shift and shape the electrical load.

From Science Daily

Raising rates cools borrowing and spending, thus limiting price rises, and vice versa.

From BBC

And be sure to get those flowers home or into a cool place as soon as possible.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• placid
• quiet
• relaxed
• serene
• tranquil