: gravely disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chilling
2 of 2present participle of chill entry 3
Synonyms
Examples of chilling in a Sentence
Adjective
a Southern visitor who was unused to the chilling air of a Northeast winter
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
On the morning of Dec. 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey discovered their daughter JonBenét was missing along with a chilling note.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
The dual proposals of a mass deportation and allowing local law enforcement to arrest those in the country illegally could have a chilling effect not only on immigrants in the country legally but also businesses looking to move to Arizona, Graham said.
—Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Mars took a chilling photo of Carolyn Bryant, a thin, pale brunette with dark lipstick and sharp eyebrows, sitting cross-armed in the gallery, looking smug.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chilling 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The bottom line: Trump's most dangerous weapon against the media is his words, which press freedom advocates have warned do have a significant chilling effect both at home and abroad.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
On the morning of Dec. 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey discovered their daughter JonBenét was missing along with a chilling note.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
The dual proposals of a mass deportation and allowing local law enforcement to arrest those in the country illegally could have a chilling effect not only on immigrants in the country legally but also businesses looking to move to Arizona, Graham said.
—Emily Wilkins, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Mars took a chilling photo of Carolyn Bryant, a thin, pale brunette with dark lipstick and sharp eyebrows, sitting cross-armed in the gallery, looking smug.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chilling
Dictionary Entries Near chilling
Cite this Entry
“Chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chilling. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chilling
adjective
chill·ing
ˈchil-iŋ 
: very disturbing or frightening
a chilling case of abuse
chillingly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share