stone cold

• stone-cold, stonecold

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.

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stone cold (idiomatic)

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

   Hypernym: cold

   Coordinate terms: chilly (not as bad), lukewarm

   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.

4. (of persons or their behavior) Lacking emotion or compassion.

   Synonyms: stony, cold

   a stone-cold demeanor

   a stone-cold killer

6. Certain; definite; obvious.

   Coordinate term: dead

   a stone cold certainty;   a stone cold guarantee

   • 2006 November 6, Philip Thornton, “Interest rate rise a 'stone-cold certainty' despite industry plea”, in The Independent‎^[1]:

     "A hike on Thursday looks a stone cold certainty," Howard Archer, chief UK economist at Global Insight, said.

• stone-cold fox

stone cold (not generally comparable, comparative more stone cold, superlative most stone cold)

2. Certainly; definitely; obviously.

   Synonym: dead (adverb)

   It is stone cold guaranteed that that guy will get his clock cleaned if he shows up here today.

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