The difference between Cold and Cool
When used as nouns, cold means a condition of low temperature, whereas cool means a moderate or refreshing state of cold.
When used as adjectives, cold means having a low temperature, whereas cool means having a slightly low temperature.
Cold is also adverb with the meaning: while at low temperature.
Cool is also verb with the meaning: to lose heat, to get colder.
check bellow for the other definitions of Cold and Cool
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Cold as an adjective (of a thing):
Having a low temperature.
Examples:
"A cold wind whistled through the trees."
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Cold as an adjective (of the weather):
Causing the air to be cold.
Examples:
"The forecast is that it will be very cold today."
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Cold as an adjective (of a person or animal):
Feeling the sensation of coldness, especially to the point of discomfort.
Examples:
"She was so cold she was shivering."
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Cold as an adjective:
Unfriendly, emotionally distant or unfeeling.
Examples:
"She shot me a cold glance before turning her back."
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Cold as an adjective:
Dispassionate, not prejudiced or partisan, impartial.
Examples:
"Let's look at this tomorrow with a cold head."
"He's a nice guy, but the cold facts say we should fire him."
"The cold truth is that states rarely undertake military action unless their national interests are at stake."
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Cold as an adjective:
Completely unprepared; without introduction.
Examples:
"He was assigned cold calls for the first three months."
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Cold as an adjective:
Unconscious or deeply asleep; deprived of the metaphorical heat associated with life or consciousness.
Examples:
"I knocked him out cold."
"After one more beer he passed out cold."
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Cold as an adjective (usually with "have" or "know" transitively):
Perfectly, exactly, completely; by heart.
Examples:
"Practice your music scales until you know them cold."
"Try both these maneuvers until you have them cold and can do them in the dark without thinking."
"Rehearse your lines until you have them down cold."
"Keep that list in front of you, or memorize it cold."
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Cold as an adjective (usually with "have" transitively):
Cornered, done for.
Examples:
"With that receipt, we have them cold for fraud."
"Criminal interrogation. Initially they will dream up explanations faster than you could ever do so, but when they become fatigued, often they will acknowledge that you have them cold."
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Cold as an adjective (obsolete):
Not pungent or acrid.
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Cold as an adjective (obsolete):
Unexciting; dull; uninteresting.
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Cold as an adjective:
Affecting the sense of smell (as of hunting dogs) only feebly; having lost its odour.
Examples:
"a cold scent"
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Cold as an adjective (obsolete):
Not sensitive; not acute.
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Cold as an adjective:
Distant; said, in the game of hunting for some object, of a seeker remote from the thing concealed. Compare warm and hot.
Examples:
"You're cold … getting warmer … hot! You've found it!"
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Cold as an adjective (painting):
Having a bluish effect; not warm in colour.
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Cold as an adjective (databases):
Rarely used or accessed, and thus able to be relegated to slower storage.
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Cold as an adjective (informal):
Without compassion; heartless; ruthless
Examples:
"I can't believe she said that...that was cold!"
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Cold as a noun:
A condition of low temperature.
Examples:
"Come in, out of the cold."
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Cold as a noun (medicine):
A common, usually harmless, viral illness, usually with congestion of the nasal passages and sometimes fever.
Examples:
"I caught a miserable cold and had to stay home for a week."
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Cold as an adverb:
While at low temperature.
Examples:
"The steel was processed cold."
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Cold as an adverb:
Without preparation.
Examples:
"The speaker went in cold and floundered for a topic."
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Cold as an adverb:
With finality.
Examples:
"I knocked him out cold."
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Cold as an adverb (slang, informal, dated):
In a cold, frank, or realistically honest manner.
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Cool as an adjective:
Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
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Cool as an adjective:
Allowing or suggesting heat relief.
Examples:
"a cool grey colour"
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Cool as an adjective:
Of a person, not showing emotion; calm and in control of oneself.
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Cool as an adjective:
Unenthusiastic, lukewarm, skeptical.
Examples:
"His proposals had a cool reception."
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Cool as an adjective:
Calmly audacious.
Examples:
"In control as always, he came up with a cool plan."
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Cool as an adjective:
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Cool as an adjective (informal):
Of a person, knowing what to do and how to behave; considered popular by others.
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Cool as an adjective (informal):
In fashion, part of or fitting the in crowd; originally hipster slang.
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Cool as an adjective (informal):
Of an action, all right; acceptable; that does not present a problem.
Examples:
"Is it cool if I sleep here tonight?"
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Cool as an adjective (informal):
Of a person, not upset by circumstances that might ordinarily be upsetting.
Examples:
"I'm completely cool with my girlfriend leaving me."
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Cool as a noun:
A moderate or refreshing state of cold; moderate temperature of the air between hot and cold; coolness.
Examples:
"in the cool of the morning"
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Cool as a noun:
A calm temperament.
Examples:
"synonyms: calmness composure"
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Cool as a noun:
The property of being cool, popular or in fashion.
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Cool as a verb (intransitive, literally):
To lose heat, to get colder.
Examples:
"I like to let my tea cool before drinking it so I don't burn my tongue."
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Cool as a verb (transitive):
To make cooler, less warm.
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Cool as a verb (figuratively, intransitive):
To become less intense, e.g. less amicable or passionate.
Examples:
"Relations cooled between the USA and the USSR after 1980."
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Cool as a verb (transitive):
To make less intense, e.g. less amicable or passionate.
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Cool as a verb (transitive):
To kill.
Compare words:
Compare with synonyms and related words:
- chilled vs cold
- chilly vs cold
- cold vs freezing
- cold vs frigid
- cold vs glacial
- cold vs icy
- cold vs cool
- baking vs cold
- boiling vs cold
- cold vs heated
- cold vs hot
- cold vs scorching
- cold vs searing
- cold vs torrid
- cold vs warm
- brass monkeys vs cold
- cold vs nippy
- cold vs parky
- cold vs taters
- cold vs hot
- cold vs hot
- aloof vs cold
- cold vs distant
- cold vs hostile
- cold vs standoffish
- cold vs unfriendly
- cold vs unwelcoming
- amiable vs cold
- cold vs friendly
- cold vs welcoming
- cold vs unprepared
- cold vs unready
- cold vs prepared
- cold vs primed
- cold vs ready
- cold vs coldness
- cold vs common cold
- cold vs coryza
- cold vs head cold
- chilly vs cool
- cool vs lukewarm
- cool vs tepid
- cool vs warm
- cool vs happening
- cool vs hip
- cool vs in
- cool vs trendy
- cool vs distant
- cool vs phlegmatic
- cool vs standoffish
- cool vs unemotional
- cool vs passionate
- cool vs warm
- awkward vs cool
- cool vs uncool
- cool vs démodé
- cool vs old hat
- cool vs out
- cool vs out of fashion
- acceptable vs cool
- all right vs cool
- OK vs cool
- cool vs not cricket
- cool vs not on
- cool vs unacceptable
- cool vs fashionable
- cool vs in fashion
- cool vs modish
- cool vs stylish
- cool vs easy
- cool vs fine
- bothered vs cool
- cool vs upset