冷たい
tsumetai
When water and an answer are both 'cold'
The picture The moment you touch it, the warmth drains out of your hand into it and your fingertips stiffen. 冷たい pulls warmth out of whatever touches it; 熱い pushes heat out at you.
Where the picture shows up in 冷たい
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an object is cold
冷たい水をください。
tsumetai mizu o kudasai
Cold water, please.
Beads of water on the glass and the fingers holding it curling in
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the body goes stiff
手が冷たいので温めます。
te ga tsumetai node atatame-masu
My hands are cold, so I'll warm them up.
Red hands cupped at the mouth with breath blown into them
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food has gone cold
ご飯が冷たくなりました。
gohan ga tsumetaku nari-mashita
The rice has gone cold.
Steam gone, and the fat on the dish set into white patches
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words with no warmth
返事が冷たかったです。
henji ga tsumetakatta desu
The reply was cold.
One short word thrown back, then a turned back and a closing door
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a cold look
冷たい目で見られました。
tsumetai me de mi-rare-mashita
I got a cold look.
Unsmiling eyes run over you once from the feet up, then turn away
冷たい about a person or attitude reads as having no warmth for others.
All of it in one picture
冷たい is one feeling: the warmth being pulled out of your side. A glass pulls it and the water is refreshing; fingertips lose it and your hands go stiff; rice loses it and the meal has gone cold. When an answer loses it, the words turn curt; when a pair of eyes loses it, a single look freezes you.