in cold blood

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Example

“The poachers killed the endangered animals in cold blood.”

Dictionary details

Component words

cold blood

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

blood and guts Informal · CEFR B2

graphic violence and gore shown in a film, book, or similar work

cold comfort Formal · CEFR C1

Consolation that offers little real relief in a painful or difficult situation.

come in from the cold Formal · CEFR C1

to regain safety or acceptance after living in secrecy, isolation, or exclusion

drive someone up the wall Informal · CEFR B1

to make someone feel extremely annoyed or frustrated

sick and tired Neutral · CEFR B1

extremely annoyed with someone or something and unwilling to tolerate it any longer

add fuel to the fire Neutral · CEFR B2

To make a bad situation or an argument worse.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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