chilling atmosphere
Unsettling mood pervading
A chilling atmosphere is a mood or setting that evokes unease, dread, or fear.
The phrase appears most often in descriptions of horror films, suspense novels, or eerie locations: The abandoned hospital had a chilling atmosphere.
The chill is metaphorical—something about the environment makes you feel cold with apprehension.
- eerieDisturbingly strange
- creepyDisturbingly strange
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- ominousSuggesting something bad approaches
foreboding · unsettling · tense · dread · suspense · goosebumps · shivers · holding breath · dead silence · fog · thick fog · shadows · darkness · silence · whispers · cold · spine-tingling · menacing
chill, chills, chilled, chiller, chillers, chilly, chilliness, chillingly, atmosphere