adj · name · noun · verb · 38 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:ko͞ol
Received-Pronunciation:/kuːl/
US:/kul/
Scotland:/kʉl/
/kjɪul/Local Dublin
/kjuːl/Local Dublin
/kjeul/working-class
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -uːl
homophone: call (fool–fall merger)
CMU ARPABET:K UW1 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a mildly low temperature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I like cool weather the most 'cause it's not too hot to wear a jacket but I won't be too cold in my shorts.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chilly
Antonyms: lukewarm, tepid, warm
2
adj
Meaning 2
Allowing or suggesting heat relief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Linen has made cool and breathable clothing for millennia.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of a color, in the range of violet to green.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
If you have a reddish complexion, you should mainly wear cool colors.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: warm
4
adj
Meaning 4
Not showing emotion; calm and in control of oneself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
His proposals had a cool reception.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chilly, lukewarm, tepid
Antonyms: warm
6
adj
Meaning 6
Calmly audacious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Applied facetiously to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adj
Meaning 8
Knowing what to do and how to behave; behaving with effortless and enviable style and panache; considered popular by others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: awkward, uncool
9
adj
Meaning 9
Fashionable; trendy; hip.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
2008, Lou Schuler, "Foreward", in Nate Green, Built for Show, page xii The fact that I was middle-aged, bald, married, and raising girls instead of chasing them didn't really bother me. Muscles are cool at any age.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: à la mode, fashionable, in fashion, modish, stylish, happening, hip, in, trendy
Antonyms: démodé, old hat, out, out of fashion
10
adj
Meaning 10
All right; acceptable; good.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
Is it cool if I sleep here tonight?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: acceptable, all right, OK
Antonyms: not cricket, not on, unacceptable
11
adj
Meaning 11
Very interesting or exciting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
I think astronomy is really cool.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: awesome, neat
Antonyms: none provided
12
adj
Meaning 12
Followed by with: able to tolerate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
I'm completely cool with my girlfriend leaving me.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: easy, fine, not bothered, not fussed
Antonyms: bothered, upset
13
adj
Meaning 13
Of a pair of people, Having good relations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
We're cool, right?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
name
Meaning 14
Initialism of CLIPS Object-Oriented Language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
The air cooled considerably after the thunderstorm
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chill, cool down
Antonyms: heat
Broader terms: change state, turn
37
verb
Meaning 37
lose intensity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
His enthusiasm cooled considerably
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cool off, cool down
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
38
verb
Meaning 38
make cool or cooler
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Chill the food
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: chill, cool down
Antonyms: heat
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
Narrower terms: quench, ice, refrigerate
History
Etymology
From Middle English cool, from Old English cōl (“cool, cold, tranquil, calm”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōl(ī), from Proto-Germanic *kōluz (“cool”), from *kalaną (“to be cold, to freeze”), Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to be cold, to freeze”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian kool, koul, kuul, kölj, kööl (“cold”), Saterland Frisian köil (“cool”), West Frisian koel (“cool”), Cimbrian khuul (“chilly, cool”), Dutch koel (“cool”), German kühl (“cool”), Low German köhl (“cool”), Luxembourgish kill (“cool”), Vilamovian kił (“cool”); also Latin gelū, gelum, gelus (“frost; chill, cold”), Belarusian хо́лад (xólad, “cold”), Bulgarian хлад (hlad, “chill, coolness”), Czech chlad (“cold”), Macedonian лад (lad, “shade; coolness”), Polish chłód (“cold”), Russian and Ukrainian хо́лод (xólod, “cold”), Serbo-Croatian хла̑д, hlȃd (“shade”), Sanskrit जड (jaḍa, “cold; stiff”), जल (jala, “water”). Related to cold.
From Middle English colen, from Old English cōlian (“to cool, grow cold, be cold”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōlēn (“to become cold”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to freeze”). Cognate with Dutch koelen (“to cool”), German kühlen (“to cool”), Swedish kyla (“to cool, refrigerate”). Also partially from Middle English kelen, from Old English cēlan (“to cool, be cold, become cold”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōlijan, from Proto-Germanic *kōlijaną (“to cool”), altered to resemble the adjective cool. See keel.
Across languages
Translations
506 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Southern Altai:
серӱӱн
(serüün)
— having a slightly low temperature
Arabic:
بَارِد
(bārid)
— having a slightly low temperature
Arabic:
سقعان
(saʔʕān)
— having a slightly low temperature
Armenian:
զով
(zov)
— having a slightly low temperature
Armenian:
հով
(hov)
— having a slightly low temperature
Azerbaijani:
sərin
— having a slightly low temperature
Bashkir:
һалҡын
(halqın)
— having a slightly low temperature
Belarusian:
халаднава́ты
(xaladnaváty)
— having a slightly low temperature
Breton:
fresk
— having a slightly low temperature
Breton:
sin
— having a slightly low temperature
Burmese:
အေး
(e:)
— having a slightly low temperature
Catalan:
fred
— having a slightly low temperature
Catalan:
fresc
— having a slightly low temperature
Chinese Cantonese:
涼 /凉
(loeng4)
— having a slightly low temperature
Chinese Mandarin:
涼快 /凉快
(liángkuài)
— having a slightly low temperature
Chinese Mandarin:
清涼 /清凉
(qīngliáng)
— having a slightly low temperature
Czech:
chladný
— having a slightly low temperature
Danish:
kølig
— having a slightly low temperature
Dutch:
koel
— having a slightly low temperature
Dutch:
fris
— having a slightly low temperature
Esperanto:
malvarmeta
— having a slightly low temperature
Finnish:
viileä
— having a slightly low temperature
French:
frais
— having a slightly low temperature
Georgian:
გრილი
(grili)
— having a slightly low temperature
German:
kühl
— having a slightly low temperature
Hebrew:
צונן
(tzonen)
— having a slightly low temperature
Hebrew:
קריר
(karir)
— having a slightly low temperature
Hungarian:
hűvös
— having a slightly low temperature
Icelandic:
svalur
— having a slightly low temperature
Ido:
koldeta
— having a slightly low temperature
Indonesian:
sejuk
— having a slightly low temperature
Ingrian:
viiliä
— having a slightly low temperature
Ingrian:
siitiä
— having a slightly low temperature
Interlingua:
fresc
— having a slightly low temperature
Interlingua:
frigide
— having a slightly low temperature
Italian:
fresco
— having a slightly low temperature
Italian:
freddo
— having a slightly low temperature
Japanese:
涼しい
(suzushii)
— having a slightly low temperature
Kashubian:
chłodny
— having a slightly low temperature
Korean:
쌀쌀하다
(ssalssalhada)
— having a slightly low temperature
Korean:
시원하다
(siwonhada)
— having a slightly low temperature
Central Kurdish:
فێنک
(fênik)
— having a slightly low temperature
Northern Kurdish:
hênik
— having a slightly low temperature
Northern Kurdish:
hîn
— having a slightly low temperature
Northern Kurdish:
fênik
— having a slightly low temperature
Kyrgyz:
серүүн
(serüün)
— having a slightly low temperature
Latin:
frigidulus
— having a slightly low temperature
Latvian:
vēss
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
mātaotao
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
mātao
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
kōangi
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
hauangi
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
pūangiangi
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
pūangi
— having a slightly low temperature
Māori:
kōtao
— having a slightly low temperature
Marathi:
थंड
(thaṇḍa)
— having a slightly low temperature
Norwegian Bokmål:
kjølig
— having a slightly low temperature
Norwegian Bokmål:
sval
— having a slightly low temperature
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kjølig
— having a slightly low temperature
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sval
— having a slightly low temperature
Occitan:
fresc
— having a slightly low temperature
Persian:
خنک
(xonak)
— having a slightly low temperature
Polish:
chłodny
— having a slightly low temperature
Portuguese:
fresco
— having a slightly low temperature
Romanian:
friguros
— having a slightly low temperature
Romansh:
frestg
— having a slightly low temperature
Romansh:
fraid
— having a slightly low temperature
Russian:
прохла́дный
(proxládnyj)
— having a slightly low temperature
Russian:
холоднова́тый
(xolodnovátyj)
— having a slightly low temperature
Scottish Gaelic:
fionnar
— having a slightly low temperature
Slovak:
chladný
— having a slightly low temperature
Slovak:
mierne chladný
— having a slightly low temperature
Slovak:
svieži
— having a slightly low temperature
Lower Sorbian:
chłodny
— having a slightly low temperature
Spanish:
fresco
— having a slightly low temperature
Spanish:
friito
— having a slightly low temperature
Spanish:
friecito
— having a slightly low temperature
Swedish:
sval
— having a slightly low temperature
Thai:
เย็น
(yen)
— having a slightly low temperature
Tupinambá:
ro'ysang
— having a slightly low temperature
Turkish:
serin
— having a slightly low temperature
Ottoman Turkish:
سرین
(serin)
— having a slightly low temperature
Ottoman Turkish:
قریر
(karir)
— having a slightly low temperature
Ukrainian:
прохоло́дний
(proxolódnyj)
— having a slightly low temperature
Vietnamese:
mát
— having a slightly low temperature
Vietnamese:
mát mẻ
— having a slightly low temperature
Yiddish:
קיל
(kil)
— having a slightly low temperature
Dutch:
koel
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Dutch:
verkoelend
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Dutch:
verkwikkend
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Esperanto:
malvarmiga
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Finnish:
viileä
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Hungarian:
hűs
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Hungarian:
hűsítő
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Italian:
termico
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Italian:
fresco
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Italian:
leggero
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Polish:
chłodny
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Portuguese:
frio
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Slovak:
chladný
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Slovak:
svieži
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Slovak:
chladivý
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Spanish:
frío
— allowing or suggesting heat relief
Catalan:
fred
— not showing emotion, calm
Chinese Mandarin:
酷
(kù)
— not showing emotion, calm
Danish:
kold
— not showing emotion, calm
Dutch:
kil
— not showing emotion, calm
Dutch:
kalm (pjes)
— not showing emotion, calm
Dutch:
koel (tjes)
— not showing emotion, calm
Esperanto:
trankvila
— not showing emotion, calm
Esperanto:
serena
— not showing emotion, calm
Esperanto:
flegma
— not showing emotion, calm
Finnish:
viileä
— not showing emotion, calm
Finnish:
hillitty
— not showing emotion, calm
Finnish:
rauhallinen
— not showing emotion, calm
Finnish:
kylmähermoinen
— not showing emotion, calm
Finnish:
tyyni
— not showing emotion, calm
Georgian:
გულგრილი
(gulgrili)
— not showing emotion, calm
Georgian:
მშვიდი
(mšvidi)
— not showing emotion, calm
German:
cool
— not showing emotion, calm
German:
kalt
— not showing emotion, calm
Hungarian:
szenvtelen
— not showing emotion, calm
Hungarian:
nyugodt
— not showing emotion, calm
Irish:
réidh
— not showing emotion, calm
Italian:
tranquillo
— not showing emotion, calm
Italian:
calmo
— not showing emotion, calm
Italian:
imperturbabile
— not showing emotion, calm
Italian:
freddo
— not showing emotion, calm
Macedonian:
ла́ден
(láden)
— not showing emotion, calm
Macedonian:
нево́збуден
(nevózbuden)
— not showing emotion, calm
Macedonian:
ладно́крвен
(ladnókrven)
— not showing emotion, calm
Norwegian:
kald
— not showing emotion, calm
Norwegian:
rolig
— not showing emotion, calm
Norwegian:
behersket
— not showing emotion, calm
Polish:
opanowany
— not showing emotion, calm
Polish:
spokojny
— not showing emotion, calm
Portuguese:
tranquilo
— not showing emotion, calm
Russian:
хладнокро́вный
(xladnokróvnyj)
— not showing emotion, calm
Russian:
невозмути́мый
(nevozmutímyj)
— not showing emotion, calm
Scottish Gaelic:
fionnar
— not showing emotion, calm
Serbo-Croatian:
kul
— not showing emotion, calm
Serbo-Croatian:
hladan
— not showing emotion, calm
Slovak:
pokojný
— not showing emotion, calm
Spanish:
tranquilo
— not showing emotion, calm
Spanish:
sereno
— not showing emotion, calm
Swedish:
kylig
— not showing emotion, calm
Swedish:
lugn
— not showing emotion, calm
Turkish:
soğukkanlı
— not showing emotion, calm
Turkish:
sakin
— not showing emotion, calm
Chinese Mandarin:
沉著 /沉着
(chénzhuó)
— unenthusiastic, lukewarm, skeptical