bone-chilling

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbəʊnˌtʃɪl.ɪŋ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈboʊnˌtʃɪl.ɪŋ/

Adjective

bone-chilling (comparative more bone-chilling, superlative most bone-chilling)

1. Very cold.

   Coordinate terms: chilly, frosty, nippy

   • 1861, “Volunteers at Hythe”, in Charles Dickens, editor, All the Year Round, volume IV, page 402:

     I arrived on a day of this last cold bone-chilling month of December.

   • 1954, Ian Fleming, “Nigger Heaven”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 50:

     They went out on to Seventh Avenue. The rain had stopped, but 'Hawkins', the bone-chilling wind from the north which the negroes greet with a reverent 'Hawkins is here', had come instead to keep the streets free of their usual crowds.

2. (figuratively) Causing great terror or horror; blood-curdling.
   • 2007 February 26, Jonathan Small, “Chic geek: Ex model Matthew Gray Gubler channels his inner nerd on Criminal Minds”, in TV guide, page 23:

     Ever since that bone-chilling post-Super Bowl two-parter […] Reid just can't say no to drugs.