55 Idioms for Cold That Add Icy Impact

When winter rolls around and the chill sets in, we often find ourselves reaching for expressions that capture the essence of cold. Idioms can add flair to our conversations, making them more vivid and engaging. In this article, we’ll explore 55 idioms related to cold, helping you to express that frosty feeling with flair. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

1. Cold as ice

Meaning: Extremely cold or emotionally distant.
In a Sentence: Despite the warm surroundings, her demeanor was cold as ice.
Other Ways to Say: Frigid, icy, unfeeling.

2. Break the ice

Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting, making people feel more comfortable.
In a Sentence: He told a funny story to break the ice at the party.
Other Ways to Say: Start the ball rolling, warm up the atmosphere.

3. In the cold light of day

Meaning: When something is viewed realistically, without emotional influence.
In a Sentence: In the cold light of day, I realized that my choices were unwise.
Other Ways to Say: Clear-headed perspective, rational view.

4. Cold shoulder

Meaning: To deliberately ignore someone or treat them in a distant manner.
In a Sentence: After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder.
Other Ways to Say: Snub, brush off.

5. Left out in the cold

Meaning: To be neglected or excluded from a group or situation.
In a Sentence: He felt left out in the cold when his friends made plans without him.
Other Ways to Say: Excluded, forgotten.

6. Cold feet

Meaning: A loss of nerve or confidence, especially before a big decision.
In a Sentence: She got cold feet just before the wedding.
Other Ways to Say: Hesitation, second thoughts.

7. As cool as a cucumber

Meaning: To remain calm and composed, especially in stressful situations.
In a Sentence: Even during the chaos, she was as cool as a cucumber.
Other Ways to Say: Unflappable, composed.

8. Ice in your veins

Meaning: To remain calm and unaffected in difficult situations.
In a Sentence: He played the final minutes of the game with ice in his veins.
Other Ways to Say: Composed, unshakeable.

9. Chill out

Meaning: To relax or calm down.
In a Sentence: You need to chill out; it’s just a game!
Other Ways to Say: Take it easy, relax.

10. Snowed under

Meaning: Overwhelmed with work or responsibilities.
In a Sentence: I’m snowed under with deadlines this week.
Other Ways to Say: Overloaded, buried.

11. On thin ice

Meaning: In a risky or precarious situation.
In a Sentence: He was on thin ice after missing several deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: In a tight spot, in danger.

12. Cold hands, warm heart

Meaning: Someone who may seem distant or unfriendly but is actually kind and caring.
In a Sentence: Don’t be fooled by her cold hands; she has a warm heart.
Other Ways to Say: Tough exterior, soft interior.

13. Ice breaker

Meaning: A tool or activity designed to help people get to know each other better.
In a Sentence: The ice breaker helped everyone feel more comfortable during the workshop.
Other Ways to Say: Social opener, conversation starter.

14. Walking on ice

Meaning: To be in a dangerous or uncertain situation.
In a Sentence: With the economy so unstable, we’re all walking on ice.
Other Ways to Say: On shaky ground, in a risky position.

15. Freeze the assets

Meaning: To stop the use or movement of funds or resources.
In a Sentence: The bank decided to freeze the assets pending an investigation.
Other Ways to Say: Halt transactions, restrict access.

16. Cold comfort

Meaning: A small consolation that does little to alleviate distress.
In a Sentence: While it was nice to hear I wasn’t alone, it was cold comfort in my time of need.
Other Ways to Say: Little consolation, meager comfort.

17. Ice the competition

Meaning: To eliminate or outdo competitors.
In a Sentence: The new strategy helped us ice the competition in the market.
Other Ways to Say: Outperform, dominate.

18. Frosty reception

Meaning: An unfriendly or cold welcome.
In a Sentence: She received a frosty reception when she arrived at the meeting late.
Other Ways to Say: Unwelcoming, chilly greeting.

19. Cold-hearted

Meaning: Lacking compassion or empathy.
In a Sentence: His cold-hearted decisions caused a lot of pain.
Other Ways to Say: Unfeeling, heartless.

20. Ice-cold

Meaning: Very cold or unfeeling.
In a Sentence: The ice-cold water took my breath away.
Other Ways to Say: Frigid, glacial.

21. A chilling effect

Meaning: A discouraging or suppressing influence.
In a Sentence: The threat of punishment created a chilling effect on free speech.
Other Ways to Say: Stifling impact, dampening effect.

22. Winter is coming

Meaning: A warning of impending danger or difficult times ahead.
In a Sentence: With the upcoming layoffs, it feels like winter is coming at work.
Other Ways to Say: Tough times ahead, dark days approaching.

23. Biting cold

Meaning: Extremely cold, often with a sharpness that is uncomfortable.
In a Sentence: The biting cold made it hard to enjoy the outdoor festival.
Other Ways to Say: Nipping chill, sharp cold.

24. Cold snap

Meaning: A sudden brief period of cold weather.
In a Sentence: The cold snap caught everyone off guard, and many weren’t prepared.
Other Ways to Say: Chill, cold wave.

25. To be left in the cold

Meaning: To be excluded or ignored.
In a Sentence: He was left in the cold when the project team was formed without him.
Other Ways to Say: Left out, sidelined.

26. Cold, hard facts

Meaning: Unemotional or objective truths.
In a Sentence: She presented the cold, hard facts about the budget cuts.
Other Ways to Say: Brutal truth, stark reality.

27. Frozen in time

Meaning: To be unable to move forward or change.
In a Sentence: The town felt frozen in time, stuck in the past.
Other Ways to Say: Stagnant, unchanging.

28. Chill factor

Meaning: The effect of wind on perceived temperature.
In a Sentence: The chill factor made it feel much colder than it was.
Other Ways to Say: Wind chill, perceived temperature.

29. Cold call

Meaning: An unsolicited call or visit to make a sale or pitch.
In a Sentence: I made a cold call, hoping to catch the client’s interest.
Other Ways to Say: Unsolicited pitch, outreach.

30. Ice age

Meaning: A long period of extreme cold affecting the earth’s climate.
In a Sentence: Scientists study the ice age to understand climate change.
Other Ways to Say: Glacial period, cold epoch.

31. Frostbite

Meaning: Injury to body tissue caused by extreme cold.
In a Sentence: He suffered frostbite during the hiking trip in the snowy mountains.
Other Ways to Say: Cold injury, tissue damage.

32. A cold day in hell

Meaning: Something that will never happen.
In a Sentence: I’ll believe he’ll apologize when pigs fly — or a cold day in hell.
Other Ways to Say: Never, not a chance.

33. Cold, clammy hands

Meaning: A physical manifestation of fear or nervousness.
In a Sentence: His cold, clammy hands revealed his anxiety before the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Sweaty palms, nervous hands.

34. To freeze up

Meaning: To become unable to think or act due to fear or anxiety.
In a Sentence: When asked a question, she froze up and couldn’t respond.
Other Ways to Say: Stiffen, panic.

35. A cold wind blows

Meaning: A sign of impending trouble or misfortune.
In a Sentence: When she heard the news, she felt a cold wind blow through her heart.
Other Ways to Say: Ominous sign, foreboding feeling.

36. Cold-blooded

Meaning: Lacking compassion or showing no emotion.
In a Sentence: The cold-blooded killer showed no remorse.
Other Ways to Say: Ruthless, merciless.

37. Frozen out

Meaning: Excluded from a group or activity.
In a Sentence: After the argument, I felt frozen out of the friendship.
Other Ways to Say: Left out, ostracized.

38. A cold sweat

Meaning: Perspiration caused by fear or anxiety.
In a Sentence: He broke into a cold sweat during the horror movie.
Other Ways to Say: Nervous perspiration, fear-induced sweat.

39. Icebound

Meaning: Completely frozen over, especially in terms of water bodies.
In a Sentence: The lake was icebound, perfect for the winter festival.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen solid, encased in ice.

40. Cold as a tomb

Meaning: Extremely cold or lifeless.
In a Sentence: The abandoned house felt cold as a tomb.
Other Ways to Say: Lifeless, desolate.

41. Cold-hearted killer

Meaning: A murderer who shows no remorse or empathy.
In a Sentence: The detective was in pursuit of a cold-hearted killer.
Other Ways to Say: Merciless murderer, ruthless criminal.

42. To be in the cold

Meaning: To be uninformed or unaware of something.
In a Sentence: I felt in the cold about the new company policies.
Other Ways to Say: Out of the loop, uninformed.

43. To catch someone cold

Meaning: To surprise someone when they are unprepared.
In a Sentence: The sudden question caught him cold.
Other Ways to Say: Take by surprise, catch off guard.

44. Cold spell

Meaning: A period of unusually cold weather.
In a Sentence: We’re expecting a cold spell next week.
Other Ways to Say: Cold snap, chill period.

45. Ice storm

Meaning: A severe winter storm with freezing rain.
In a Sentence: The ice storm caused widespread power outages.
Other Ways to Say: Freezing rain event, ice event.

46. Cool breeze

Meaning: A refreshing or calming wind.
In a Sentence: A cool breeze swept through the open window.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle wind, refreshing gust.

47. Cold, hard truth

Meaning: An unpleasant reality that must be faced.
In a Sentence: Sometimes, you have to accept the cold, hard truth about a situation.
Other Ways to Say: Bitter reality, harsh truth.

48. Cold as a stone

Meaning: Emotionally unresponsive or indifferent.
In a Sentence: His reaction was cold as a stone when she shared her news.
Other Ways to Say: Unmoved, indifferent.

49. Bitterly cold

Meaning: Extremely cold, often causing discomfort.
In a Sentence: The bitterly cold wind made it hard to enjoy the outdoors.
Other Ways to Say: Harshly cold, painfully cold.

50. Ice water in your veins

Meaning: To be calm and composed under pressure.
In a Sentence: She showed ice water in her veins during the emergency.
Other Ways to Say: Unflappable, steady.

51. Cold, hard cash

Meaning: Physical money, as opposed to credit or checks.
In a Sentence: He prefers to be paid in cold, hard cash.
Other Ways to Say: Cash in hand, physical currency.

52. To freeze over

Meaning: To become completely frozen.
In a Sentence: The pond will freeze over if the temperatures drop low enough.
Other Ways to Say: Solidify, become icy.

53. A cold reception

Meaning: An unenthusiastic or unfriendly welcome.
In a Sentence: The speaker received a cold reception from the audience.
Other Ways to Say: Unwelcoming, frosty greeting.

54. To be in the freezer

Meaning: To be put on hold or delayed.
In a Sentence: My application seems to be in the freezer while they review other candidates.
Other Ways to Say: On hold, delayed.

55. To get cold feet

Meaning: To hesitate or retreat from a planned course of action.
In a Sentence: He got cold feet about moving to a new city.
Other Ways to Say: Back out, have second thoughts.

With these idioms, you can add a touch of icy impact to your language. Whether you’re describing a chilly winter day or expressing feelings of exclusion, these phrases will help you convey your thoughts more vividly. Embrace the cold and let your words flow!

Quiz: 55 Idioms for Cold That Add Icy Impact

What does the idiom “break the ice” mean?
a) To have a cold drink
b) To initiate conversation in a social setting
c) To become frozen
Answer: b) To initiate conversation in a social setting
Which idiom refers to being emotionally distant?
a) Cold shoulder
b) Cold feet
c) As cool as a cucumber
Answer: a) Cold shoulder
What does “cold comfort” signify?
a) A warm welcome
b) A small consolation that does little to help
c) A comfortable situation
Answer: b) A small consolation that does little to help
If someone is said to have “ice in their veins,” what does that imply?
a) They are physically cold
b) They are calm and composed under pressure
c) They are unfeeling
Answer: b) They are calm and composed under pressure
What does the idiom “cold feet” refer to?
a) A physical condition
b) A loss of nerve before a big decision
c) A chilly climate
Answer: b) A loss of nerve before a big decision
Which phrase indicates that someone is overwhelmed with work?
a) Snowed under
b) Frozen out
c) Cold sweat
Answer: a) Snowed under
What does “left out in the cold” mean?
a) To be frozen outside
b) To be neglected or excluded
c) To be in a chilly environment
Answer: b) To be neglected or excluded
If someone is “walking on thin ice,” what does it suggest about their situation?
a) They are physically unsteady
b) They are in a risky situation
c) They are enjoying winter sports
Answer: b) They are in a risky situation
The idiom “as cool as a cucumber” describes someone who is:
a) Nervous and anxious
b) Calm and composed
c) Cold-hearted
Answer: b) Calm and composed
What does the phrase “cold, hard facts” refer to?
a) Emotional truths
b) Objective, unemotional realities
c) Fictional stories
Answer: b) Objective, unemotional realities

Tony James

Tony James is a skilled writer with over 5 years of experience specializing in the “noun” niche. He delves deep into the intricacies of language, exploring the significance and usage of nouns in everyday communication. Tony’s work simplifies complex linguistic concepts, making them accessible and engaging for readers of all backgrounds.