cool off
Idioms-
see cool down .
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Also, . Calm down, become less ardent, angry, or agitated, as in We can't discuss it until you've cooled off . The verb cool alone has been used in this sense since approximately a.d. 1000; off and down were added in the late 1800s, and Davy Crockett's Almanac (1836) had: “Resting a while, just long enough to cool out a little.”
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Also, cool out . Kill someone, as in They threatened to cool off his brother . [ Slang ; first half of 1800s] Also see cool out , def. 2.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If you don’t want to stop the fun while you take a break from the heat, the Do Lab is always a good place to catch some shade, dance and cool off.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Crews were working to cool off hotspots in the stonework and assist structural engineers in assessing the stability of the remaining building.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
You do heat up and you do sweat, and I just take off my coat to cool off and always keep my hat and Spyder gloves to keep my hands warm.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026
Many PC laptops still have fans to cool off internal components.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
“In theory we should let this sit and cool off first, but I don’t think we’re wrong to taste test them now, don’t you agree?”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.