cold

/kəʊld/ (bre, ipa) · /kəʊld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkōld/ (ame, mw) · /koʊld/ (ame, ipa)

1.形容詞A1

釋義

noticeably colder than what a person finds comfortable — used for weather, food, drinks, objects, and parts of the body.

例句

The water in the lake was too cold for swimming.

collocation: cold water / cold weather

Ravi put on a woollen hat because the wind felt cold.

同義詞

chilly
unpleasantly cold, but less intense than cold; e.g. a chilly autumn morning
cool
pleasantly low in temperature; mild rather than uncomfortable
freezing
extremely cold, at or below the point where water turns to ice
icy
very cold, often with ice present; e.g. icy roads, icy wind

反義詞

hot
at a high temperature
warm
pleasantly high in temperature

文法句型

be/get/feel/grow/turn + cold

cold + noun

用法筆記

Commonly used after linking verbs: be/get/feel/turn/grow cold. For food and drinks that are served at a low temperature on purpose (e.g. cold beer, cold noodles), use iced or chilled for emphasis on 'intentionally served cold' vs. 'has lost its heat.'

常見錯誤

❌The weather is cold in spring (25°C).

✅The weather is cool in spring (25°C).

💡'cold' means uncomfortably low; 'cool' means pleasantly low but not hot.

❌I am cold of the weather.

✅I feel cold because of the weather.

💡'cold' after a person uses feel/be/get, not 'of.'

2.形容詞B1

釋義

behaving toward others in a way that shows no warmth, kindness, or friendly feeling — used of a person's manner, voice, expression, or the atmosphere in a room or relationship.

例句

The new manager gave the team a cold stare when they arrived late.

collocation: cold stare / cold look / cold voice

Yusuf tried to start a conversation, but the receptionist remained cold and distant.

同義詞

unfriendly
direct synonym; not showing friendliness
distant
emotionally removed, not engaging with others
chilly
less intense than cold; a chilly response is cool but not openly hostile
icy
very cold and hostile; stronger intensity than cold

反義詞

warm
friendly and kind toward others
friendly
showing kindness and openness

文法句型

be + cold + to/toward + noun

cold + noun (stare/voice/response/welcome)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (LOW TEMPERATURE), this sense only applies to people, their behaviour, words, looks, or the mood of a situation — not to physical objects or weather. Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the subject is a person or an abstract quality.

常見錯誤

❌The water is cold.' (intending 'unfriendly')

✅The water is cold.

💡'cold' for unfriendliness only describes people, behaviour, looks, or atmosphere, not physical objects.

❌He was cold with me.

✅He was cold to me.' or 'He was cold toward me.

💡the preposition is 'to' or 'toward', not 'with.'

3.形容詞C1

釋義

describing a criminal investigation that remains open after years with no progress, making it unlikely that the case will ever be closed.

例句

The detective still works on cold cases from twenty years ago.

collocation: cold case

A cold murder case was reopened after a witness came forward with new information.

同義詞

unsolved
broader term; any problem or mystery that has not been solved

文法句型

cold + noun (case/murder/investigation/file)

用法筆記

Only used attributively before a noun (cold case, cold file, cold investigation). Cannot be used predicatively: 'The case is cold' is acceptable in informal police jargon, but learners should stick to attributive use.

常見錯誤

❌The weather is a cold case.' (mixing temperature sense with crime sense)

✅The murder investigation became a cold case after ten years with no leads.

💡this sense is restricted to criminal investigations, not general situations.

4.形容詞B1

釋義

situation in a guessing game where the player is far from the solution they are hunting for — used as a clue to guide the seeker.

例句

In the treasure hunt the children were told they were cold.

When the player is cold the hidden object is far from their guess.

game rule: 'cold' = far from answer; 'hot' = close

同義詞

far off
informal; not close to the correct answer in a game or search

反義詞

hot
very close to the answer or hiding place in a game

文法句型

be + cold

you're getting colder

用法筆記

Used exclusively in children's guessing games and some detective-style activities. The opposite is hot (very close). Learners often encounter this in the expression 'you're getting warmer' vs. 'you're getting colder.'

常見錯誤

❌I feel cold about the exam answer.' (intending the game sense)

✅In the game, the seeker is cold when the hiding spot is far away.

💡this sense only works in the game context, not for expressing uncertainty about real life.

❌The answer is cold.

✅You are cold.

💡it is the person (player) who is cold, not the answer itself.

1.名詞A2

釋義

a common viral infection that affects your upper airways, causing sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose.

例句

Tomás caught a cold and stayed home from school for two days.

collocation: catch a cold

Drink plenty of hot tea when you have a cold to soothe your throat.

collocation: have a cold

同義詞

head cold
a cold that mainly affects the nose and sinuses
common cold
the full medical name for this illness

文法句型

have/get/catch + a cold

come down with + a cold

用法筆記

Requires the article 'a' in singular form: 'I have a cold' — not 'I have cold.' The plural 'colds' is common: 'She catches three colds every winter.' Do not capitalise it like a medical diagnosis name.

常見錯誤

❌I have cold.' (meaning the illness)

✅I have a cold.

💡the illness sense requires the article 'a.'

❌I feel cold — I think I have a cold.' (ambiguous)

✅I have a sore throat and a runny nose

💡I think I have a cold.' — 'feel cold' refers to temperature; 'have a cold' refers to the illness.

2.名詞B1

釋義

low temperature in the air or in the environment; weather that feels cold or the absence of warmth.

例句

Amara went inside after standing in the cold for half an hour.

collocation: in the cold

Farmers worry about the cold when it threatens their fruit trees.

同義詞

coldness
the quality or state of being cold; more abstract
low temperature
technical term for the scientific measure
chill
a mild, unpleasant coldness in the air

反義詞

heat
high temperature; hot weather

文法句型

the + cold

in the cold

escape/protect from the cold

用法筆記

Typically used with the definite article 'the cold' when referring to cold weather in general, or without an article when used in abstract compounds (cold tolerance, cold protection). Distinguish from sense 1 (ILLNESS): 'the cold' = low temperature, 'a cold' = illness.

常見錯誤

❌I have a cold.' (meaning 'I feel cold from the weather')

✅I feel cold.' or 'I am freezing.

💡'have a cold' always means the illness.

❌I am in cold.

✅I am in the cold.

💡'cold' meaning low temperature requires the article 'the.'

1.副詞C1

釋義

in a way that is total and complete, especially when stopping or ending something with no hesitation or possibility of continuing.

例句

The engine stopped cold when the fuel line snapped.

pattern: stop + cold (completely and suddenly)

The negotiations came to a halt cold after the deal fell through.

同義詞

completely
standard adverb; less vivid but works in all registers

文法句型

Verb + cold (stop/quit/halt)

用法筆記

Only combines with a narrow set of verbs of stopping or ending: stop cold, quit cold, halt cold. Not productive — you cannot say 'finish cold' or 'end cold.'

常見錯誤

❌The project finished cold.

✅The project stopped cold.

💡'cold' in this sense only works with verbs of stopping, not general finishing.

2.副詞B2

釋義

without any previous introduction, warning, or arrangement — used especially when contacting or approaching someone for the first time.

例句

The salesperson cold-called every home in the area.

compound: cold-call (contact without prior notice)

Rashida cold-emailed the CEO and was surprised to get a reply.

同義詞

unannounced
more formal; without prior notice

反義詞

by appointment
with prior arrangement

文法句型

cold + Verb (call/approach/contact/email)

用法筆記

Often combined with a verb using a hyphen to form compounds: cold-call, cold-email, cold-approach. The hyphen is optional but common in written English.

常見錯誤

❌I cold-telephoned my mother.' (a person you know)

✅I cold-called a stranger to sell insurance.

💡'cold' implies no prior relationship; it does not apply to people you already know.

3.副詞B2

釋義

without any practice, rehearsal, or physical warm-up before starting a performance, sport, or activity.

例句

The singer had to perform cold when the warm-up act fell ill.

pattern: perform + cold (without rehearsal)

The actor delivered the lines cold without having read the script.

同義詞

unprepared
standard adverb; without prior preparation

反義詞

after warming up
after preparation or rehearsal

文法句型

Verb + cold (perform/sing/play/go in)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2 (WITHOUT NOTICE): sense 2 is about contacting people without prior arrangement; sense 3 is about performing an activity without prior preparation. Both can appear in the same sentence: 'He cold-called a client (sense 2) and then gave a presentation cold (sense 3).'

常見錯誤

❌I went cold into the exam.' (acceptable but informal)

✅I took the exam without preparing for it.

💡'go in cold' is very informal; prefer 'without preparation' in formal writing.

cold

cold — adjective

1. noticeably colder than what a person finds comfortable — used for weather, food,

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. behaving toward others in a way that shows no warmth, kindness, or friendly feel

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. describing a criminal investigation that remains open after years with no progre

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

4. situation in a guessing game where the player is far from the solution they are

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

cold — noun

1. a common viral infection that affects your upper airways, causing sneezing, coug

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. low temperature in the air or in the environment; weather that feels cold or the

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

cold — adverb

1. in a way that is total and complete, especially when stopping or ending somethin

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. without any previous introduction, warning, or arrangement — used especially whe

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. without any practice, rehearsal, or physical warm-up before starting a performan

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤