phrase Pop Culture

Take A Chill Pill

/teɪk ə tʃɪl pɪl/ · phrase · slang

A snappy way to tell someone to calm down and stop overreacting.

0

Definitions

1

An instruction to relax or calm down, said to someone who's worked up or overreacting.

“Take a chill pill, it's just a game.”
by community
0
2

A dismissive way to tell someone they're being dramatic.

“Geez, take a chill pill, I was only kidding.”
by community
0
3

Used to defuse tension by telling a person to lighten up.

“Everyone needs to take a chill pill before this turns into a fight.”
by community
0

Take A Chill Pill In A Sentence

You're freaking out over nothing, take a chill pill.
Take a chill pill, the bus is only five minutes late.
He told me to take a chill pill and I lost it even more.

Origin & Usage

Coined in mid-80s American slang, riffing on the idea of an imaginary pill that calms you down, possibly nodding to anti-anxiety meds. It spread through teen and pop culture as the decade's go-to 'calm down' line.

People Also Ask

What does 'take a chill pill' mean?

It means calm down or relax. You say it to someone who's getting too worked up or dramatic.

Is 'take a chill pill' rude?

It can come off dismissive, especially when someone's genuinely upset, but it's usually meant lightly.

When did people start saying 'chill pill'?

It became popular American slang in the mid-1980s and stuck around through the 90s.

Comments 0