cold
gb/kˈoʊld/ us/kˈoʊld/
A1
English
~ 2500
hideg, megfázás, nátha, rideg, távolságtartó, zárkózott, felkészülés nélkül, bemelegítés nélkül, próba nélkül, halott, kihűlt
A1
1
hideg
A1
Usage pattern:
[something] is cold
The water in the lake was too cold to swim in.
A tó vize túl hideg volt az úszáshoz.
It's cold outside, so wear a jacket.
Kint hideg van, úgyhogy vegyél fel kabátot.
She held the cold metal rail and shivered.
The soup has gone cold; let's reheat it.
Cold winds blew across the valley.
Learner examples
The water is cold.
Hideg a víz.
Today is very cold.
Ma nagyon hideg van.
My hands are cold.
This drink is cold.
The room is cold.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cold' with 'cool', but 'cool' is milder and often pleasant, while 'cold' usually feels uncomfortable.
Meaning
Having a low temperature
Collocations
cold weather
|cold drink
|cold water
|cold wind
|cold day
Synonyms
chilly (Slightly informal; often suggests an unpleasant coolness.)
Antonyms
hot (Describes something with a high temperature.)
Themes
weather
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Having a temperature that is not warm or hot.
Having a temperature noticeably lower than that of the human body or the surrounding environment.
NOUN
A2
2
Usage pattern:
have/get a cold
I can't come to work today because I have a bad cold.
Ma nem tudok bemenni dolgozni, mert csúnyán meg vagyok fázva.
She caught a cold after walking home in the rain.
Megfázott, miután hazasétált az esőben.
It usually takes about a week to get over a cold.
The common cold spreads easily among children.
Drinking water can help when you have a cold.
Learner examples
I have a cold.
Meg vagyok fázva.
He got a cold last week.
Múlt héten megfázott.
She caught a cold at school.
My sister has a bad cold.
Cold is common in winter.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'cold' (illness) with 'cold' (temperature). Context usually makes the meaning clear.
Meaning
Mild viral illness
Collocations
catch a cold
|have a cold
|get over a cold
|common cold
Synonyms
head cold (Specifies that the symptoms are in the head area; informal.)
Antonyms
good health (The absence of illness or disease.)
Themes
health
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Definition
A sickness that makes your nose run and your throat hurt.
A common viral infection affecting the nose and throat, causing symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat.
B1
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] is cold to [someone]
He gave me a cold stare and walked away.
Rideg pillantást vetett rám, majd elsétált.
Her voice was cold and formal during the meeting.
A megbeszélésen a hangja rideg és hivatalos volt.
Despite the warm welcome from others, he remained cold toward her.
She spoke in a cold tone that made him uncomfortable.
Learner examples
He is cold to me.
Ridegen viselkedik velem.
Her voice is cold.
Rideg a hangja.
They are cold to strangers.
The teacher was cold today.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'cool' meaning 'calm'. Here, 'cold' suggests unfriendliness, not composure.
Meaning
Unfriendly or unemotional
Collocations
cold look
|cold voice
|cold manner
Synonyms
aloof (More formal; emphasizes emotional distance.)
Antonyms
warm (Describes someone showing kindness and friendliness.)
Themes
emotions
|social
|relationships
Definition
Not friendly and not showing feelings.
Showing no friendliness, affection, or sympathy; emotionally distant.
B2
4
He was asked to speak cold, without any notes.
Azt kérték tőle, hogy felkészülés és jegyzetek nélkül beszéljen.
The actor had to perform the scene cold after reading it once.
A színésznek egyszeri olvasás után, próba nélkül kellett eljátszania a jelenetet.
I had to answer the question cold, without time to think.
Learner examples
I had to sing cold.
Bemelegítés nélkül kellett énekelnem.
She answered the question cold.
Felkészülés nélkül válaszolt a kérdésre.
He started the job cold.
Meaning
Without preparation or warning
Collocations
cold call
|cold start
Synonyms
unprepared (General term meaning lacking preparation; not as idiomatic.)
Antonyms
prepared (Ready for something in advance.)
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening without time to get ready.
Done suddenly and without any preparation or warm-up.
B2
5
They found the man lying cold on the floor.
A férfit holtan, kihűlve találták meg a padlón.
The animal was already cold when they discovered it.
Az állat már halott volt, és kihűlt, mire rátaláltak.
His hand was cold in hers, and she knew he was gone.
Learner examples
The body was cold.
A holttest már kihűlt.
His hand is cold and still.
A keze hideg és mozdulatlan.
The bird is cold and dead.
Meaning
Dead, lacking warmth of life
Collocations
stone-cold dead
Synonyms
lifeless (Focuses on absence of life, not specifically temperature.)
Antonyms
alive (Living, not dead.)
Themes
death
|health
|body
Definition
Dead, with no warmth in the body.
Having lost all body heat and signs of life; dead.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cold
IPA
GB/kˈoʊld/
US/kˈoʊld/
Syllables & stress
cold (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cold)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: cold
- Comparative: colder
- Superlative: coldest
Noun
- Base: cold
- Plural: cold, colds
Word family
Expressions
catch a cold
1/kˈæt͡ʃ ə kˈoʊld/
fixed phrase
Become ill with a cold
To get sick with a common illness that makes your nose run and your throat hurt.
Examples
- If you stay out in the rain too long, you might catch a cold.
- She caught a cold from her coworker last week.
cold call
1/kˈoʊld kˈɔl/
fixed phrase
Unsolicited sales phone call
To phone someone you do not know to sell something or ask for something.
Examples
- Salespeople often make dozens of cold calls each day.
- I received a cold call about switching my internet provider.
left out in the cold
1/lˈɛft ˈaʊt ˈɪn ðə kˈoʊld/
idiom
Excluded from participation or benefit
Not included in something; ignored by others.
Examples
- She felt left out in the cold when her friends didn't invite her to the party.
- Small businesses are often left out in the cold by new government policies.
stone-cold
1/stˈoʊn kˈoʊld/
fixed phrase
Completely without warmth or heat
Very, very cold; having no heat at all.
Examples
- By the time we ate, the pizza was stone-cold.
- The water from the tap was stone-cold in winter.
in cold blood
1/ˈɪn kˈoʊld blˈʌd/
idiom
deliberately and without emotion (esp. killing)
To do something bad on purpose and without feeling sorry, especially killing someone.
Examples
- The victim was murdered in cold blood.
- The crime was committed in cold blood.
- He shot them in cold blood.
- He killed them in cold blood after planning it for weeks.
- He killed the animal in cold blood.
in cold blood
2/ˈɪn kˈoʊld blˈʌd/
idiom
Deliberately and without mercy (often killing)
To do something on purpose without feeling sorry, usually something very bad like killing someone.
Examples
- The crime was committed in cold blood.
- He murdered them in cold blood.