Distinguishing Cool & Cold

The adjective cold indicates a lower temperature than the adjective cool. While both refer to low temperatures, cool is usually associated with a refreshing and comfortable lower temperature, and cold with an uncomfortably lower temperature. Additionally, the word cool can also be used informally to mean attractive or excellent, whereas the word cold can refer to a personality trait.

Key Takeaways

• Cool refers to a refreshing and comfortable lower temperature, while cold refers to an uncomfortably lower temperature.
• Both adjectives can describe a personality trait of being unemotional.
• Cool can also be used informally to mean attractive or excellent.

What Does Cool Mean?

Cool is an adjective meaning “of or at a fairly low temperature” or “moderately cold.” It usually signifies slightly cold in a pleasant, refreshing, or soothing way. For example, “it was a lovely cool evening” refers to an evening that is pleasant and refreshing. See the following example sentences to better understand the meaning of this word:

She wore a cool cotton dress.
They served me a long, cool glass of lemon juice.
The water felt deliciously cool on my skin.
He wanted to visit a country with a cool climate.

The adjective cool can also describe a person who is calm and not worried or frightened, or someone not influenced by a strong feeling of any kind. Additionally, cool is an informal word used to express approval, meaning good or excellent.

What Does Cold Mean?

Cold is an adjective that refers to lower temperatures, usually describing a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans. For example:

Her teeth chattered with the cold.
We couldn’t go swimming because the water was too cold.
Weather had been unusually cold that spring.
It’s too cold outside, come inside.

Cold can also describe a personality trait of being unemotional, lacking affection or warmth.

What are the Similarities Between Cool and Cold?

Both cool and cold are adjectives that describe lower temperatures and can also describe the personality trait of being unemotional.

What is the Difference Between Cool and Cold?

The key difference between cool and cold is that cold refers to a lower temperature than cool. Cool describes a moderate cold temperature, while cold describes a temperature that is uncomfortably low for humans. In other words, cool is somewhere between warm and cold, whereas cold is somewhere between cool and freezing.

Summary – Cool vs Cold

Although both cold and cool describe lower temperatures, cool usually describes a refreshing and comfortable lower temperature, while cold refers to an uncomfortably lower temperature. Cold temperatures are somewhat lower than cool temperatures, which is the difference between cool and cold.