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Other Spellings

• coo (informal)
• kewl (informal)
• kool (informal)

Pronunciation

• AHD : ko͞ol
• IPA : /kuːl/
• SAMPA : /ku:l/

Adjective

cool (comparative cooler, superlative coolest)

1. Having a slightly low temperature; mildly or pleasantly cold.
2. (colloquial) Of a person, knowing what to do and how to behave in any situation.
3. (colloquial) In fashion.
4. (colloquial) Of an action, all right , acceptable, that does not present a problem.

Quotations

The earliest use of the word in this way seems to be in Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone" 1868: "She has been a guest of yours at this house," I answered. "May I venture to suggest — if nothing was said about me beforehand — that I might see her here?"

"Cool!" said Mr. Bruff. With that one word of comment on the reply that I had made to him, he took another turn up and down the room.

"In plain English," he said, "my house is to be turned into a trap to catch Rachel ...

Antonyms

• (having a slightly low temperature): warm, lukewarm, tepid

Translations

having a slightly low temperature

colloquial: of a person, knowing what to do and how to behave in any situation

colloquial: in fashion

colloquial: all right, acceptable

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate tables above. Note that the numbering could be unreliable.

• Catalan: mestre m (2), guai (3)
• Chinese: 凉的 , 凉快的 (1); 酷 (ku) (1, 3)
• Danish: cool (2, 3)
• Dutch: cool (2, 3), hip (4), blits (4)
• German: cool (2, 3), toll (3), geil (3)
• Interlingua: disinvolte , experte (2); bon, excellente (3)
• Japanese: 涼しい (すずしい, suzushii) (1)
• Portuguese: in Brazil safo m, safa f (2); (in Brazil) bacana m & f, (in Brazil) legal m & f, (Lus.) fixe m & f (3)
• Romanica: disinvolto m, disilvolta f, experto m, experta f (2); bono m, bona f, excellente (3)
• Verlan: looc (2, 3)