cold
gb/kˈoʊld/ us/kˈoʊld/
A1
Anglais
~ 2500
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A1
property
1
Having a low temperature
Having a temperature that is not warm or hot.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is cold
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'cold' with 'cool', but 'cool' is milder and often pleasant, while 'cold' usually feels uncomfortable.
Synonymes
chilly (Slightly informal; often suggests an unpleasant coolness.)
Antonymes
hot (Describes something with a high temperature.)
Collocations
cold weather
|cold drink
|cold water
|cold wind
|cold day
Thèmes
weather
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The water in the lake was too cold to swim in.
- It's cold outside, so wear a jacket.
- She held the cold metal rail and shivered.
- The soup has gone cold; let's reheat it.
- Cold winds blew across the valley.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The water is cold.
- Today is very cold.
- My hands are cold.
- This drink is cold.
- The room is cold.
Nom
A2
entity
2
Mild viral illness
A sickness that makes your nose run and your throat hurt.
Schéma d’usage :
have/get a cold
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners confuse 'cold' (illness) with 'cold' (temperature). Context usually makes the meaning clear.
Synonymes
head cold (Specifies that the symptoms are in the head area; informal.)
Antonymes
good health (The absence of illness or disease.)
Collocations
catch a cold
|have a cold
|get over a cold
|common cold
Thèmes
health
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Exemples
- I can't come to work today because I have a bad cold.
- She caught a cold after walking home in the rain.
- 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.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I have a cold.
- He got a cold last week.
- She caught a cold at school.
- My sister has a bad cold.
- Cold is common in winter.
adjective
B1
property
3
Unfriendly or unemotional
Not friendly and not showing feelings.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is cold to [someone]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'cool' meaning 'calm'. Here, 'cold' suggests unfriendliness, not composure.
Synonymes
aloof (More formal; emphasizes emotional distance.)
Antonymes
warm (Describes someone showing kindness and friendliness.)
Collocations
cold look
|cold voice
|cold manner
Thèmes
emotions
|social
|relationships
Exemples
- He gave me a cold stare and walked away.
- Her voice was cold and formal during the meeting.
- Despite the warm welcome from others, he remained cold toward her.
- She spoke in a cold tone that made him uncomfortable.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He is cold to me.
- Her voice is cold.
- They are cold to strangers.
- The teacher was cold today.
adjective
B2
property
4
Without preparation or warning
Happening without time to get ready.
Synonymes
unprepared (General term meaning lacking preparation; not as idiomatic.)
Antonymes
prepared (Ready for something in advance.)
Collocations
cold call
|cold start
Thèmes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He was asked to speak cold, without any notes.
- The actor had to perform the scene cold after reading it once.
- I had to answer the question cold, without time to think.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I had to sing cold.
- She answered the question cold.
- He started the job cold.
adjective
B2
state
5
Dead, lacking warmth of life
Dead, with no warmth in the body.
Synonymes
lifeless (Focuses on absence of life, not specifically temperature.)
Antonymes
alive (Living, not dead.)
Collocations
stone-cold dead
Thèmes
death
|health
|body
Exemples
- They found the man lying cold on the floor.
- The animal was already cold when they discovered it.
- His hand was cold in hers, and she knew he was gone.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The body was cold.
- His hand is cold and still.
- The bird is cold and dead.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
cold
API
GB/kˈoʊld/
US/kˈoʊld/
Syllabes et accentuation
cold (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (cold)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: cold
- Comparative: colder
- Superlative: coldest
Noun
- Base: cold
- Plural: cold, colds
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- The crime was committed in cold blood.
- He murdered them in cold blood.