Relax vs. Chill — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 12, 2024
Relaxing involves intentionally unwinding and reducing tension, often through activities like meditation or reading; chilling is more casual, often social, and can involve light activities or leisure.
Difference Between Relax and Chill
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Key Differences
Relaxing is a deliberate process aimed at achieving a state of calmness and reducing stress, often involving activities that soothe the mind and body, such as yoga or a warm bath. Whereas, chilling typically refers to informal, leisurely activities that don't require much effort, like watching TV or lounging.
Relaxation techniques often include deep breathing, mindfulness, or guided imagery to help clear the mind and ease physical tension. On the other hand, chilling might simply involve hanging out with friends, listening to music, or engaging in hobbies without a specific focus on stress relief.
While relaxing is usually a solitary or quiet activity intended to rejuvenate and refresh one’s mental or physical state, chilling can be either a solo or social activity, not necessarily aimed at reducing stress but rather at enjoyment or killing time.
People often engage in relaxation practices to improve their health and well-being, focusing on activities that have a calming effect on the body and mind, such as meditation or tai chi. Conversely, chilling is more about leisure and enjoyment, possibly including social gatherings, playing video games, or scrolling through social media.
Relaxing often requires setting aside time and creating a conducive environment for relaxation, like a quiet room or a nature retreat. Meanwhile, chilling is more flexible and can happen almost anywhere, from a cafe to a friend's house, without much preparation.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
To reduce stress and improve well-being
To enjoy leisure time, often without a specific focus on stress relief
Activities
Meditation, yoga, reading, taking a bath
Watching TV, socializing, listening to music
Focus
Intentional calmness and tension reduction
Casual enjoyment or leisure
Social Setting
Often solitary or in quiet, controlled environments
Can be solo or social, in various environments
Preparation Needed
May require specific environment or tools (e.g., yoga mat)
Minimal to none; more spontaneous
Compare with Definitions
Relax
To ease or reduce the strictness of something.
The company decided to relax its dress code.
Chill
To calm down or reduce excitement.
Chill out, the exam isn't until next week.
Relax
To rest and enjoy oneself, doing very little.
On vacation, I prefer to relax on the beach.
Chill
Slang for something cool or acceptable.
That new cafe is pretty chill.
Relax
To become loose or less tight.
Relax your shoulders during the massage.
Chill
To make cold or cool.
Chill the drinks before the guests arrive.
Relax
To make or become less tense or anxious.
After work, I like to relax by reading a book.
Chill
Informal for spending time casually.
Want to chill and watch a movie tonight?
Relax
To take time off from work or duties.
He's relaxing at home this weekend.
Chill
To relax or take it easy.
We're just going to chill at the park this afternoon.
Relax
To make less severe or strict
Relax a curfew.
Chill
An unpleasant feeling of coldness in the atmosphere, one's surroundings, or the body
The draughty chill of the castle
There was a chill in the air
Heat exhaustion symptoms include nausea, chills, dizziness and dehydration
Relax
To make lax or loose
Relax one's grip.
Chill
A metal mould, often cooled, designed to ensure rapid or even cooling of metal during casting.
Relax
To reduce in intensity; slacken
Relax one's efforts.
Chill
Make (someone) cold
They were chilled by a sudden wind
Relax
To relieve from tension or strain
The warm bath relaxed me.
Chill
Horrify or frighten (someone)
The city was chilled by the violence
Relax
To take one's ease; rest.
Chill
Calm down and relax
They like to get home, have a bath, and chill out
Relax
To become lax or loose.
Chill
Chilly
The chill grey dawn
The chill winds of public censure
Relax
To become less severe or strict.
Chill
Very relaxed or easy-going
The island is really chill and laid-back
In general, I am a pretty chill guy
Relax
To become less restrained or tense.
Chill
A moderate but penetrating coldness.
Relax
(transitive) To calm down.
Chill
A sensation of coldness, often accompanied by shivering and pallor of the skin.
Relax
(transitive) To make something loose.
To relax a rope or cord
To relax the muscles or sinews
Chill
A checking or dampening of enthusiasm, spirit, or joy
Bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
Relax
(intransitive) To become loose.
Chill
A sudden numbing fear or dread.
Relax
(transitive) To make something less severe or tense.
To relax discipline
To relax one's attention or endeavours
Chill
Moderately cold; chilly
A chill wind.
Relax
(intransitive) To become less severe or tense.
Chill
Not warm and friendly; distant
A chill greeting.
Relax
(transitive) To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
Chill
Discouraging; dispiriting
“Chill penury repressed their noble rage” (Thomas Gray).
Relax
To become more lenient.
Chill
(Slang) Calm or relaxed
“As my meditation routine grew more stable...my already laid-back demeanor grew positively chill” (David Gelles).
Relax
(transitive) To relieve (something) from stress.
Amusement relaxes the mind.
Chill
To affect with or as if with cold.
Relax
To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
An aperient relaxes the bowels.
Chill
To lower in temperature; cool.
Relax
To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as, to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews.
Horror . . . all his joints relaxed.
Nor served it to relax their serried files.
Chill
To make discouraged; dispirit.
Relax
To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness, or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors.
The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
Chill
(Metallurgy) To harden (a metallic surface) by rapid cooling.
Relax
Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the mind.
Chill
To be seized with cold.
Relax
To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels.
Chill
To become cold or set
Jelly that chills quickly.
Relax
To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax.
His knees relax with toil.
Chill
(Metallurgy) To become hard by rapid cooling.
Relax
To abate in severity; to become less rigorous.
In others she relaxed again,And governed with a looser rein.
Chill
To calm down or relax. Often used with out.
Relax
To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study.
Chill
To pass time idly; loiter.
Relax
Relaxation.
Chill
To spend time with someone in a relaxed manner; hang out together.
Relax
Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.
Chill
A moderate, but uncomfortable and penetrating coldness.
There was a chill in the air.
Relax
Become less tense, rest, or take one's ease;
He relaxed in the hot tub
Let's all relax after a hard day's work
Chill
A sudden penetrating sense of cold, especially one that causes a brief trembling nerve response through the body; the trembling response itself; often associated with illness: fevers and chills, or susceptibility to illness.
Close the window or you'll catch a chill.
I felt a chill when the wind picked up.
Relax
Make less tight;
Relax the tension on the rope
Chill
An uncomfortable and numbing sense of fear, dread, anxiety, or alarm, often one that is sudden and usually accompanied by a trembling nerve response resembling the body's response to biting cold.
Despite the heat, he felt a chill as he entered the crime scene.
The actor's eerie portrayal sent chills through the audience.
His menacing presence cast a chill over everyone.
Relax
Become loose or looser or less tight;
The noose loosened
The rope relaxed
Chill
An iron mould or portion of a mould, serving to cool rapidly, and so to harden, the surface of molten iron brought in contact with it..
Relax
Cause to feel relaxed;
A hot bath always relaxes me
Chill
The hardened part of a casting, such as the tread of a carriage wheel.
Relax
Become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner;
Our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group
Chill
A lack of warmth and cordiality; unfriendliness.
Relax
Make less severe or strict;
The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught
Chill
Calmness; equanimity.
Relax
Become less severe or strict;
The rules relaxed after the new director arrived
Chill
A sense of style; trendiness; savoir faire.
Relax
Make less active or fast;
He slackened his pace as he got tired
Don't relax your efforts now
Chill
Moderately cold or chilly.
A chill wind was blowing down the street.
Chill
Unwelcoming; not cordial.
Arriving late at the wedding, we were met with a chill reception.
Chill
(slang) Calm, relaxed, easygoing.
The teacher is really chill and doesn't care if you use your phone during class.
Paint-your-own ceramics studios are a chill way to express yourself while learning more about your date's right brain.
Chill
(slang) "Cool"; meeting a certain hip standard or garnering the approval of a certain peer group.
That new movie was chill, man.
Chill
(slang) Okay, not a problem.
Sorry about that. —It's chill.
Chill
(transitive) To lower the temperature of something; to cool.
Chill before serving.
Chill
(intransitive) To become cold.
In the wind he chilled quickly.
Chill
To harden a metal surface by sudden cooling.
Chill
To become hard by rapid cooling.
Chill
To relax; to lie back.
Chill, man, we've got a whole week to do it; no sense in getting worked up.
The new gym teacher really has to chill or he's gonna blow a gasket.
Chill
To "hang", hang out; to spend time with another person or group.
Hey, we should chill this weekend.
Chill
To smoke marijuana.
On Friday night do you wanna chill?
Chill
To discourage, depress.
Censorship chills public discourse.
Chill
A moderate but disagreeable degree of cold; a disagreeable sensation of coolness, accompanied with shivering.
Chill
A sensation of cold with convulsive shaking of the body, pinched face, pale skin, and blue lips, caused by undue cooling of the body or by nervous excitement, or forming the precursor of some constitutional disturbance, as of a fever.
Chill
A check to enthusiasm or warmth of feeling; discouragement; as, a chill comes over an assembly.
Chill
An iron mold or portion of a mold, serving to cool rapidly, and so to harden, the surface of molten iron brought in contact with it.
Chill
The hardened part of a casting, as the tread of a car wheel.
Chill
Moderately cold; tending to cause shivering; chilly; raw.
Noisome winds, and blasting vapors chill.
Chill
Affected by cold.
Chill
Characterized by coolness of manner, feeling, etc.; lacking enthusiasm or warmth; formal; distant; as, a chill reception.
Chill
Discouraging; depressing; dispiriting.
Chill
To strike with a chill; to make chilly; to cause to shiver; to affect with cold.
When winter chilled the day.
Chill
To check enthusiasm or warmth of feeling of; to depress; to discourage.
Every thought on God chills the gayety of his spirits.
Chill
To produce, by sudden cooling, a change of crystallization at or near the surface of, so as to increase the hardness; said of cast iron.
Chill
To become surface-hardened by sudden cooling while solidifying; as, some kinds of cast iron chill to a greater depth than others.
Chill
Coldness due to a cold environment
Chill
An almost pleasurable sensation of fright;
A frisson of surprise shot through him
Chill
A sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
Chill
A sudden numbing dread
Chill
Depress or discourage;
The news of the city's surrender chilled the soldiers
Chill
Make cool or cooler;
Chill the food
Chill
Loose heat;
The air cooled considerably after the thunderstorm
Chill
Uncomfortably cool;
A chill wind
Chilly weather
Common Curiosities
What is the main goal of relaxing?
To intentionally reduce stress and tension for mental and physical health.
Is relaxing the same as being lazy?
No, relaxing is an active choice to reduce stress and rejuvenate, while laziness implies a lack of activity due to unwillingness.
Can chilling involve physical activities?
Yes, chilling can involve light physical activities like walking in a park or playing casual sports.
Is meditation a form of relaxing or chilling?
Meditation is typically considered a form of relaxing due to its focus on stress reduction and mindfulness.
Do you need special tools or environments to relax?
Sometimes, depending on the relaxation technique (e.g., yoga mat for yoga), but not always.
Can chilling be considered a form of relaxation?
Yes, chilling can be a form of relaxation, especially if it helps reduce stress and provides enjoyment.
Can you chill with friends?
Yes, chilling often involves hanging out with friends in a relaxed setting.
Is watching TV considered chilling?
Yes, watching TV is a common chilling activity, often done for leisure and enjoyment.
Is it necessary to relax every day?
While it's not strictly necessary, incorporating relaxation into daily routines can benefit overall well-being.
Is reading a book considered relaxing or chilling?
Reading can be considered relaxing, especially if it helps reduce stress and is done in a quiet environment.
Are there health benefits to relaxing?
Yes, regular relaxation practices can improve mental and physical health by reducing stress.
Is it okay to chill instead of being productive all the time?
Yes, taking time to chill and enjoy leisure activities is important for a balanced lifestyle.
Can relaxing improve productivity?
Yes, taking time to relax can refresh the mind and body, leading to improved focus and productivity later.
Can music be part of chilling?
Yes, listening to music is a popular way to chill and enjoy leisure time.
Do you need to plan to relax?
Planning can help, especially for relaxation techniques that require a quiet space or specific tools.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
