1
: moderately cold : lacking in warmth
The plant grows best in cool climates.
2
a
: marked by steady dispassionate calmness and self-control
a cool and calculating businessperson
b
: lacking ardor or friendliness
a cool impersonal manner
c
of jazz
: marked by restrained emotion and the frequent use of counterpoint
d
: free from tensions or violence
We used to fight, but we're cool now.
3
—used as an intensive
a cool million dollars
4
: marked by deliberate effrontery or lack of due respect or discretion
a cool reply
5
: facilitating or suggesting relief from heat
a cool dress
6
a
of a color
: producing an impression of being cool
specifically
: of a hue in the range violet through blue to green
b
of a musical tone
: relatively lacking in timbre or resonance (see resonance sense 2a)
7
informal
b
: fashionable, hip
… not happy with the new shoes … because they were not "cool."—
Celestine Sibley
Celestine Sibley
cooled; cooling; cools
1
: to become cool : lose heat or warmth
placed the pie in the window to cool
—sometimes used with off or down
2
: to lose ardor or passion
His anger cooled.
1
: to make cool : impart a feeling of coolness to
cooled the room with a fan
—often used with off or downA swim cooled us off a little.
2
a
: to moderate the heat, excitement, or force of : calm
cooled her growing anger
b
: to slow or lessen the growth or activity of
—usually used with off or down
wants to cool off the economy without freezing it—Newsweek
Newsweek1
: a cool time, place, or situation
the cool of the evening
2
a
: absence of excitement or emotional involvement : detachment
… must surrender his fine cool and enter the closed crazy world of suicide …—Wilfrid Sheed
Wilfrid Sheed3
: hipness
: in a casual and nonchalant manner
play it cool
Phrases
cool it
: to calm down : go easy
The word went out to the young to cool it.—W. M. Young
W. M. Young
: to wait or be kept waiting for a long time especially from or as if from disdain or discourtesy
Synonyms
Examples of cool in a Sentence
Adjective
The weather is cool today.
The surface is cool to the touch.
The plant grows best in cool climates.
I'm feeling a little cool.
We changed into some cooler clothes.
She remained calm, cool, and collected.
Verb
The fan cools the engine.
the cooling effect of the breeze
Allow the cake to cool before slicing.
the cooling of the ocean waters
I took a break from the discussion to allow my anger to cool.
His interest in her has cooled somewhat.
Noun
had a cool new hairstyle
I envy you your cool.
Adverb
Here comes Mom. Act cool and she won't suspect a thing.
Recent Examples on the WebDon Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Guests oohed and aahed over a light pink Hermès Birkin bag on offer for a cool $24,000 (Goop sells vintage handbags from luxury reseller What Comes Around Goes Around).
—Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cool 
Adjective
On a cool, overcast Tuesday afternoon, the stars came out again, leading Poway to a come-from-behind 5-2 road win against rival Rancho Bernardo.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Guests oohed and aahed over a light pink Hermès Birkin bag on offer for a cool $24,000 (Goop sells vintage handbags from luxury reseller What Comes Around Goes Around).
—Ingrid Schmidt, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cool
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cool.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to cool
Dictionary Entries Near cool
Cite this Entry
“Cool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cool. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cool
1 of 3 adjective1
: somewhat cold : lacking in warmth
2
: not letting in or keeping in heat
cool clothes
3
: marked by steady calmness and self-control
4
: not friendly or interested
was cool toward strangers
5
: producing an impression of being cool
blue is a cool color
6
cool
2 of 3 verb1
: to make or become cool
2
: to make or become less excited : calm
allow tempers to cool
cool
3 of 3 noun
: a cool time or place
the cool of the night
Legal Definition
cool
intransitive verb
: to lose passion : become calm
—sometimes used with off or down
the time elapsing…is such that a reasonable man thus provoked would have cooled—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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