koud

Koud is a Dutch adjective meaning having a low temperature or producing a sensation of cold. It can describe weather conditions, objects, environments, or people’s reactions. In meteorological and everyday contexts, phrases such as het is koud buiten (it is cold outside), een koude douche (a cold shower), and koud glas (cold glass) are common. The term can also be used metaphorically to refer to emotional distance or lack of warmth, as in een koude reactie or koud bloed (cold-blooded).

Koud belongs to the Germanic language family. It is cognate with the English word cold and the German kalt, sharing a common Proto-Germanic root for low temperature. The related noun kou (cold) is used in Dutch with senses such as the sensation of cold and as a state of cold. This cluster of words is found across Dutch and other Germanic languages, reflecting their shared ancestry.

In cultural and historical contexts, the term appears in phrases such as the Koude Oorlog, referring to the Cold War era. In everyday usage, koud features in idioms describing emotional or social coldness as well as physical coldness, and it commonly appears in descriptions of climates and seasons. The word remains a frequent descriptor in weather reports and household language.