Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

stone cold

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.60 in modern English

Syllables: stone -cold
IPA

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Very cold (literally); lacking any semblance of warmth.

adj

Lacking emotion or compassion.

adj

Certain; definite; obvious.

adv

Certainly; definitely; obviously.

Example Sentences

"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."
"a stone-cold demeanor"
"a stone-cold killer"
"a stone cold certainty"
"a stone cold guarantee"

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.

Inflected Forms

stone-cold (alternative) stonecold (alternative) more stone cold (comparative) most stone cold (superlative)

Phrases

stone-cold fox the stones

Frequently Paired Words

chilly lukewarm dead

Synonyms

ice-cold cold as ice icy freezing cold frigid cold as a well-digger's arse algid Arctic Baltic boreal brass monkeys brumal

Questions

What does stone cold mean?: Very cold (literally); lacking any semblance of warmth.
Where does stone cold come from?: 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.

How to pronounce stone cold

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “stone cold”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “stone cold”.
Repeat and practice — Say “stone cold” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.