That's awesome vs That's cool

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

That's awesome

Informal Top 1,000 (very common)

That's cool

Informal Top 1,000 (very common)

	That's awesome	That's cool
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //ðæts ˈɔːsəm// 🇺🇸 //ðæts ˈɔsəm//	🇬🇧 //ðæts kuːl// 🇺🇸 //ðæts kul//
Meaning	That's really great or impressive.	That's nice or impressive.
Example	You just won the contest? That's awesome!	When she showed her artwork, I thought, 'That's cool!'
Register	Informal	Informal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
Collocations	that's fantastic, that's amazing, that's great	That's really cool, I think that's cool, Wow, that's cool, That's cool to hear, Yeah, that's cool
Common mistakes	Used in overly formal contexts., Confused with 'that's awfully' (which has a negative connotation).	Using it in overly formal contexts., Confusing it with 'that's good' in serious discussions., Misunderstanding it as sarcastic when used sincerely.
Usage notes	Use this phrase in casual conversations to express excitement or approval. Avoid in formal writing.	Used in casual conversations. Avoid in formal situations. Expressing approval or agreement.

See it in real clips

Avengers › Avengers Endgame

That's awesome.

That's awesome

The Pitt › S1 E1

Oh, that's cool.

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Oh, um, no, that's cool. Yeah, maybe later.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Oh, that's cool.

Breaking Bad › S1 E4

Oh, um, no, that's cool. Yeah, maybe later.

That's cool

Frequently asked questions: That's awesome vs That's cool

What's the difference between That's awesome and That's cool?

That's awesome: That's really great or impressive. That's cool: That's nice or impressive.

Can you show an example of each?

That's awesome: You just won the contest? That's awesome! That's cool: When she showed her artwork, I thought, 'That's cool!'

Can I use That's awesome and That's cool interchangeably?

Not always. That's awesome and That's cool are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.