cool down - Wiktionary, the free dictionary Jump to content

cool down

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: cooldown

English

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Verb

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cool down (third-person singular simple present cools down, present participle cooling down, simple past and past participle cooled down)

  1. (intransitive)
    1. To become cooler; to be reduced in temperature.
      Synonym: cool off
      Antonyms: warm up, hot up
      Coordinate term: warm down
      You can drink the coffee when it's cooled down.
    2. To become less agitated or excited.
      Synonym: calm down
      I'd love to go to Israel, but I'll have to wait until the violence cools down.
    3. To decrease in degree or intensity.
      • 2022 May 17, Coral Murphy Marcos, “Retail sales rise for the fourth straight month as prices keep climbing.”, in The New York Times[1]:
        The increase in spending in the United States last month follows a revised 1.4 percent month-over-month gain in March, when prices for gasoline soared amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gas prices cooled down slightly in April but were still at elevated levels, while oil prices remain volatile.
  2. (transitive)
    1. To cause (something) to become cooler; to reduce the temperature of.
      We had to cool down the equipment with water before using it.
    2. To cause (someone) to become less agitated or excited.
      Synonym: calm down
      • 1984 April 21, J. F. Peoples, “Personal Advertisement”, in Gay Community News, page 19:
        I'm oversexed. Write me and see if you can cool me down.
      Dave was kicking and screaming, so I had to cool him down with some mellow music.

Derived terms

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Translations

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