bone-chilling

adjective

bone-chill·​ing ˈbōn-ˌchi-liŋ How to pronounce bone-chilling (audio)
Synonyms of bone-chillingnext
: intensely cold
bone-chilling weather
also : penetrating, disturbing, or intense in emotional or physical effect
bone-chilling drama
a bone-chilling wind

Examples of bone-chilling in a Sentence

we stood in line for hours in the bone-chilling weather
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
What follows is a bone-chilling sequence in which Paula’s instinct is to fight for normalcy at all costs despite the panic and danger churning through her body. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 June 2026 Few television worlds are as visually recognizable as the bone-chilling Gilead. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 18 June 2026 Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 June 2026 Mr Cobra opens like a dark, cobwebbed staircase leading into a vast and foreboding space, all frantic flute and piano, creaks, and bone-chilling screeches (not to mention a slutty monologue seemingly communicated via Google Translate). Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bone-chilling

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bone-chilling was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bone-chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone-chilling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster