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.
The Best Actor category, in particular, has honored a wide variety of performance types, from bone-chilling turns like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) to heroic tributes to human decency like Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026 During the last week of January, an arctic blast hit Texas, bringing ice and bone-chilling temperatures. Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026 This latest surge of cold air isn’t quite as bone-chilling as last weekend’s, which brought freezing rain and prolonged power outages to parts of Texas. Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026 Taylor says her mission is to keep those unhoused safe, especially with these bone-chilling temperatures. Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 22 Jan. 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

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Cite this Entry

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

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