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to chill out

to chill out

99 4.9
To relax and become calm after you feel upset
  • phrasal verb
  • /tʃɪl aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : relajarse
  • After a long week, I decided to chill out at home with a good book.
  • Just chill out
  • Relax and chill out
  • Need to chill out

So like, I'm just gonna chill out, you know, I don't know.

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Examples

Synonyms

to relax
vsto chill out
1.0

To feel less nervous and more calm

is specific to calming after being upset or excited rather than general tension relief
to calm
vsto chill out
962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

is used more for deliberate relaxation after being upset or excited
to calm down
vsto chill out
  • Informal
594 1.4

To become less angry, excited, or upset

is used for becoming relaxed after excitement rather than only reducing anger
to take it easy
vsto chill out
  • Informal
572 2.5

Relax and avoid doing too much or worrying

is used more for calming after being upset rather than advising low effort
to chill
vsto chill out
  • Informal
223 4.0

To relax and do very little

is used especially to calm after being upset or excited not just idle rest
to take a deep breath
vsto chill out
103 2.7

Pull air slowly into your lungs to calm yourself

is a quick physical action to calm rather than a full relaxation process
to settle down
vsto chill out
56 2.5

To become quiet and calm after being excited

is immediate relaxation after upset rather than a long-term behaviour change
to cool it
vsto chill out
  • Informal
55 6.2

To calm down and stop being angry or excited

is a general action of becoming calm not a spoken command
to cool off
vsto chill out
50 2.7

To become calmer, less angry, or less hot

is about becoming relaxed after upset rather than lowering temperature
to wind down
vsto chill out
  • Informal
39 3.7

To relax after a busy or stressful time and slowly come to an end

is faster calming after excitement rather than gradual finishing of activity
to unwind
vsto chill out
35 3.4

Become relaxed and less tense after work or a stressful time

is more immediate calming after being upset not only end-of-day relaxation
to loosen up
vsto chill out
  • Informal
31 3.4

To relax and become less nervous or tense

is about easing tension socially rather than calming strong upset or excitement
to cool down
vsto chill out
  • Informal
19 2.5

Feel less angry or excited

is used for calming and returning to relaxed state after upset or excitement
to simmer down
vsto chill out
  • Informal
14 4.1

To become calm after strong feelings or to tell someone else to calm down

is used for relaxing after excitement or distress rather than only stopping anger
to take a breather
vsto chill out
  • Informal
14 3.5

To stop and rest for a short time

is a brief pause to restore energy rather than specifically calming after upset
to blow off steam
vsto chill out
  • Informal
14 3.5

Do something active, like go for a run, to feel less angry or stressed

is active emotional release often energetic rather than calm quiet recovery
to mellow out
vsto chill out
  • Informal
10 6.3

Become more relaxed and easygoing

is used for becoming gentler or more easygoing rather than quick calming after upset
to let one's hair down
vsto chill out
  • Informal
8 5.6

Relax and enjoy yourself after being serious or busy

is about lively uninhibited behaviour rather than calming and returning to quiet
to chillax
vsto chill out
  • Slang
2 8.6

Calm down and relax after feeling stressed or excited

is the common phrasal form rather than the slang blend
to unwind after work
vsto chill out
1 2.7

Relax and feel less stressed after work

is not limited to work time it applies after any upset or excitement
to unbend
vsto chill out
1 5.6

Relax and become less tense or formal

is more immediate calming after being upset rather than easing social stiffness
to chillin'
vsto chill out
  • Slang
9.1

To relax and spend time with friends or alone

is used more for calming after excitement rather than casual hanging out
to unpucker
vsto chill out
  • Informal
7.6

Make a tense person or situation feel more relaxed

is used for personal calming after excitement rather than reducing group social strain

Antonyms

362 1.0

Make someone feel sad or worried

286 2.7

To feel pressure and worry because of difficult situations

How Calm

to relax
1.0
to chillax
  • Slang
2 8.6
to chill out
  • Informal
99 4.9
to calm down
  • Informal
594 1.4

Surface Forms

chill out infinitive
chilled out past participle
chilling out present participle
chills out third person singular

Morphology

chill + out

The verb 'chill' (to relax/hang out) combined with the particle 'out' (giving a sense of away/completely or an emphatic particle) yields the meaning 'to relax or calm down' in a directly compositional way. This phrasal-verb pattern is common and predictable in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Chill out comes from a simple image: when someone feels 'hot' with anger or stress, they are told to get chill and step out of that heat to cool down. That's why it means 'to relax or become calm'.