coldest
coldest — adjective
- coldestpositive
- more coldestcomparative
- most coldestsuperlative
1. having a temperature that feels noticeably lower than the human body or lower th
having a temperature that feels noticeably lower than the human body or lower than what is normal for the time or place — for example, weather that makes you shiver, food that has not been heated, or a surface that feels cool to the touch
Luca put on a thick coat because the winter morning was so cold.
collocation: cold + morning / weather / day
The soup had gone cold by the time Selim came to the table.
phrasal pattern: go cold (become cold)
Daichi's hands were cold after playing outside in the snow.
It was so cold in the old house that Nora could see her breath.
The nurse said cold water helped reduce the swelling on Luca's ankle.
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs like 'feel', 'get', 'go', and 'turn' to describe changes in temperature: 'the tea went cold', 'it is getting cold outside'.
常見錯誤
2. behaving toward other people without kindness, warmth, or emotion; not friendly,
behaving toward other people without kindness, warmth, or emotion; not friendly, welcoming, or sympathetic
The new manager gave Andrew a cold stare when he arrived late.
collocation: cold stare / cold look / cold glare
Anjali's cold tone made it clear she did not want to continue the conversation.
The receptionist was so cold that Ezra felt unwelcome immediately.
Sayaka received a cold reply to her friendly email.
The school felt like a cold, unwelcoming place to the new students.
- distant
emotionally removed, not engaging with others
- unfriendly
direct synonym; less figurative than 'cold'
- frosty
suggests a coldness that makes others feel unwelcome or hurt
用法筆記
Commonly used to describe someone's personality, behaviour, voice, eyes, or the atmosphere of a place. Often combined with 'unwelcoming', 'distant', or 'lifeless'.
常見錯誤
3. used to describe a criminal investigation or set of events that the police have
used to describe a criminal investigation or set of events that the police have not been able to solve and have stopped actively working on because too much time has passed without new information
After three years without new clues, the murder case went cold.
phrasal pattern: go cold (of an investigation)
Detectives refused to let the investigation go cold despite the lack of evidence.
A fresh witness statement revived a cold case that everyone had forgotten.
The trail had turned cold, and the police had no one left to interview.
用法筆記
Almost always used with verbs like 'go', 'turn', or 'grow' to describe the process of a case becoming inactive. The phrase 'cold case' is a common compound noun in crime fiction and journalism.
4. used in children's guessing or hiding games to indicate that a player is still f
used in children's guessing or hiding games to indicate that a player is still far from the right answer or far from the hidden object
You are getting colder! Luca shouted as Daichi walked away from the hiding spot.
The children laughed and called out cold whenever Eli made a wrong guess.
When the game leader told Andrew he was cold, he changed direction.
Vinícius heard colder and realized he was moving away from the hidden treasure.
- far off
less common in children's games, but means the same thing
- off target
more formal; used outside of children's games
用法筆記
Used as a conventional signal in children's games like hide-and-seek. The opposite is 'hot' or 'warm' (close to the target). The comparative forms 'colder' and 'coldest' are very common in this sense.
常見錯誤
5. not awake or aware of what is happening around you because of a hit, injury, dru
not awake or aware of what is happening around you because of a hit, injury, drug, or shock; unconscious or dead
The boxer was knocked cold in the final round of the match.
phrasal pattern: knock + person + cold
After falling from the ladder, Eli lay cold and still on the ground.
The punch sent him cold to the floor before the referee could stop the fight.
Selim was out cold for several minutes after hitting his head on the ice.
- unconscious
the standard medical term; less dramatic than 'cold'
- knocked out
more common in everyday speech; same meaning
- out cold
fixed expression; means completely unconscious
用法筆記
Commonly used in sports reporting and crime fiction. 'Out cold' is a fixed expression meaning completely unconscious. 'Knock cold' and 'go cold' are also fixed phrasal combinations.
常見錯誤
6. no longer fresh, interesting, or effective because too much time has passed or b
no longer fresh, interesting, or effective because too much time has passed or because it has been used or repeated too many times
The comedian's jokes had gone cold after he repeated them on every TV show.
pattern: go cold (lose freshness)
That news story went cold weeks ago and nobody talks about it anymore.
Daichi's enthusiasm for the project grew cold after months of delays.
The scent of the perfume had gone cold and barely lingered on her coat.
用法筆記
Often overlaps with 'stale'. Used for news stories, jokes, relationships, enthusiasm, scents, or any quality that fades over time. The verb 'go' is the most common collocation: 'go cold'.
7. so familiar through repeated practice that a performance or skill can be done sm
so familiar through repeated practice that a performance or skill can be done smoothly, without hesitation, and with complete accuracy
After weeks of practice, Nora could play the piano piece cold from memory.
pattern: know / play / recite + something + cold
The actor delivered his lines cold, without missing a single word.
Andrew had his presentation cold and answered every question from the audience.
The lawyer knew the case details cold and did not need any notes.
- perfectly
more formal and widely understood
- by heart
specific to memorised facts, not physical skills
- flawlessly
focuses on a perfect result rather than the effort to achieve it
- rusty
no longer smooth because of lack of practice
用法筆記
This sense is used after verbs like 'know', 'have', 'play', or 'deliver' with the object immediately before 'cold'. It is informal in tone and most common in North American English.
常見錯誤
coldest — noun
- coldestsingular
- coldestsplural
1. an illness caused by a virus that makes your nose run or feel blocked, and cause
an illness caused by a virus that makes your nose run or feel blocked, and causes sneezing, coughing, and often a sore throat
Sayaka stayed home from school because she had a bad cold.
collocation: have / catch / get a cold
The doctor told Anjali that most colds go away on their own within a week.
Daichi caught a cold after walking home in the rain without an umbrella.
Vinícius drank hot tea with honey to soothe his sore throat from the cold.
You can catch a cold from touching surfaces that carry the virus.
- common cold
the full, slightly more formal name
- head cold
specific to cold symptoms in the nose and sinuses
用法筆記
Countable noun — 'a cold', 'colds'. The verb 'catch' is the most common collocation, not 'get' ('I caught a cold' is more natural than 'I got a cold'). The common cold is not the same as the flu (influenza), which is more severe.
常見錯誤
2. weather or atmospheric conditions that are cold; low temperature as a physical c
weather or atmospheric conditions that are cold; low temperature as a physical condition or sensation
The children came inside to escape the cold after building a snowman.
collocation: escape / get in from / stay out in the cold
Anjali's toes were numb from the cold after the long walk to school.
pattern: numb with / from the cold
Eli's fingers turned red from the cold as he waited for the morning train.
The cold in the mountains was so severe that the river froze solid.
Old houses in this town are not built to handle the extreme cold of winter.
用法筆記
Uncountable noun — 'the cold', 'cold'. Used with prepositions like 'in', 'from', 'with', and 'against'. 'Feel the cold' is a fixed expression meaning to be sensitive to cold temperatures.
常見錯誤
coldest — adverb
1. in a way that is total and final; with no room for change, discussion, or furthe
in a way that is total and final; with no room for change, discussion, or further action — used especially to describe a refusal, rejection, or interruption
The committee turned down the proposal cold, refusing even to discuss it.
pattern: reject / refuse / turn down + object + cold
His offer of help was refused cold, with no explanation given.
Selim was stopped cold by the security guard before he could enter the building.
The singer's microphone cut out cold in the middle of the performance.
- completely
more neutral and widely usable
- outright
common with refusals; suggests an immediate, clear rejection
- dead
used with 'stop' to mean an abrupt halt
用法筆記
Almost always used after a verb of refusal, rejection, or sudden stopping. Common combinations: 'stop cold', 'refuse cold', 'reject cold', 'cut cold'. The adverb directly follows the object of the verb.
常見錯誤
2. without any preparation, practice, or introduction beforehand; starting somethin
without any preparation, practice, or introduction beforehand; starting something immediately from the beginning without a warm-up period
Nora had to give a speech cold, with no time to prepare any notes.
pattern: do / perform / play + something + cold
The teacher called on Andrew cold, without warning him first.
Vinícius had to sing the song cold because the sheet music was missing.
Hoa walked into the interview cold, having read nothing about the company.
- without preparation
more formal but means the same thing
- unprepared
adjective; describes the person, not the action
- impromptu
suggests a creative, spontaneous quality
用法筆記
Most common in performing arts (music, theatre, dance) and public speaking contexts. Can also be used for any task done without preparation. Compare 'cold reading' (acting term) and 'cold calling' (sales term).