chill it

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   Used to tell someone to calm down and stop being angry, excited, or worried.

   Grammar: Fixed imperative phrase; often followed by 'it' or used alone as 'chill'.

   Patterns

   • chill it!
   • chill it, will you?

   Chill it! Nobody is blaming you for the mistake.

   You need to chill it before you say something you regret.

   Chill it, guys — the game isn't over yet.

2. 2phrasetransitive or intransitive

   To make something cold, especially a drink or food, before serving or eating it.

   Grammar: Can take an object ('chill the wine') or be used without one ('let it chill').

   Patterns

   • chill something
   • chill it in the fridge
   • let it chill

   The recipe says to chill it for at least two hours.

   Just chill it in the refrigerator until dinner.

Common combinations

chill it in the fridge

Chill it in the fridge for an hour before serving.

chill it, will you?

Chill it, will you? I'm trying to concentrate.

just chill it

Just chill it — there's no need to shout.

Synonyms and how they differ

calm down

This is more neutral and can be used in formal situations, while 'chill it' is very informal.

relax

This focuses on becoming less tense, whereas 'chill it' often tells someone to stop being angry or overexcited.

cool it

This is a near-synonym meaning 'calm down', but 'cool it' can also mean 'stop doing something'.

Word family

chill verb

To make something cold, or (informally) to relax.

chill out phrasal verb

Informal: to relax and stop worrying.

chilled adjective

Made cold, or (informally) relaxed.

Commonly confused: chill it or chill out?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “chill it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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