stone cold en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
The literal sense reflects the archetype of stone: it is usually cold to the touch and often quite cold. The figurative senses emphasize the high degree of coldness or of certainty.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic) Very cold (literally); lacking any semblance of warmth.
Near-synonyms: ice-cold, cold as ice, icy, freezing cold, frigid, cold as a well-digger's arse; see also Thesaurus:cold
I forgot to turn on the burner under the soup and found it sitting there, still stone cold, twenty minutes later.
-
(idiomatic, of persons or their behavior) Lacking emotion or compassion.
a stone-cold killer
a stone-cold demeanor
-
(idiomatic) Certain; definite; obvious.
"A hike on Thursday looks a stone cold certainty," Howard Archer, chief UK economist at Global Insight, said.
2006 November 6, Philip Thornton, “Interest rate rise a 'stone-cold certainty' despite industry plea”, in The Independent:a stone cold guarantee
a stone cold certainty
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| stone-cold | alternative | lexicographic | |
| stonecold | alternative | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Synonyms
icy · cold as ice · frosty · Arctic · chill · cold as a well-digger's arse · polar · frozen · nesh · cold · chilly · freezing cold · hiemal · freezing · snowy · wintry · algid · inclement · cold · brumal · ice-cold · frigid · cold as charity · taters · glacial · brass monkeys · icy · nippy · chilled · parky · clay-cold · cold as a mackerel · boreal · frore · sleety · gelid · Baltic · stony
Translations (3)
fi vuorenvarma (definite) · pt muito frio (very cold) · fi jääkylmä (very cold)