stone-cold
/ˌstəʊn ˈkəʊld/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌstəʊn ˈkəʊld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstōn-ˈkōld/ (ame, mw) · /ˌstəʊnˈkəʊld/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌstoʊnˈkoʊld/ (ame, ipa)
stone-cold — adjective
1. so cold that all the warmth seems to have gone from it.
so cold that all the warmth seems to have gone from it.
By dinner time, the soup on the stove was stone-cold and oily.
be + stone-cold for food that has lost heat
Nadia pulled on gloves before touching the stone-cold bike seat.
After the power cut, the classroom felt stone-cold by morning.
The tea had gone stone-cold while I answered three work calls.
文法句型
stone-cold + noun
be + stone-cold
go/feel + stone-cold
用法筆記
Often used for food, drinks, rooms, body parts, and other things that should still feel warm. It is stronger than plain 'cold' and usually points to a complete loss of heat.
常見錯誤
2. showing no sympathy when other people are hurt or in trouble.
showing no sympathy when other people are hurt or in trouble.
The landlord gave a stone-cold answer when Rosa asked for more time.
stone-cold + noun for an unsympathetic response
Jin looked stone-cold as the boy cried beside the broken bike.
The online comments stayed stone-cold even after the singer spoke about her illness.
A stone-cold coach ignored Leo's pain and told him to finish the race.
- kind
Shows care and warmth toward others.
- sympathetic
Stresses understanding of another person's suffering.
文法句型
stone-cold + noun
look/be + stone-cold
用法筆記
Common with nouns like answer, stare, coach, or comments. It focuses on a lack of sympathy, not simply a calm expression.
3. used before a noun to stress that someone or something is completely that thing.
used before a noun to stress that someone or something is completely that thing.
The story about stolen homework was a stone-cold lie.
stone-cold + noun for total emphasis
His excuse about traffic was stone-cold nonsense to everyone in the room.
The warning email was stone-cold proof that the office knew about the leak.
Calling Mei lazy was a stone-cold insult, not a joke.
文法句型
stone-cold + noun
用法筆記
Usually placed before a noun such as lie, nonsense, proof, or insult. Unlike the adverb sense, it intensifies the noun itself rather than an adjective.
常見錯誤
stone-cold — adverb
1. completely, used to add strong emphasis before an adjective or similar word.
completely, used to add strong emphasis before an adjective or similar word.
By nine o'clock, the cafe was stone-cold empty.
stone-cold + adjective for emphasis
After the meeting, Priya was stone-cold certain the plan would fail.
The old laptop was stone-cold dead after two days in the rain.
When the school bell rang, the hallway went stone-cold quiet.
- completely
Neutral and more common in everyday speech.
- totally
Very close in meaning, but even more conversational.
- absolutely
Works in similar positions but can sound slightly more formal.
文法句型
stone-cold + adjective
feel/be/go + stone-cold + adjective
用法筆記
Placed before adjectives or similar words, especially in informal speech: stone-cold empty, stone-cold certain, stone-cold dead. Unlike adjective sense 3, it does not modify a noun directly.