ðə sˈeɪdʒ hˈændbʊk ʌv pˈɑːpjʊlɚ mjˈuːzɪk tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹtiːn ˈɔfɚz ðˈæt "kˈoʊld wˈeɪv" ɪz ɐn ˈɜːli sˈɪnənˌɪm fɔːɹ mjˈuːzɪk ðæt wʌz lˈeɪɾɚ tˈɜːmd "dˈɑːɹk wˈeɪv", "ɡˈɑːθ", ænd "dˈɛθɹɑːk".
The SAGE Handbook of Popular Music (2014) offers that "cold wave" is an early synonym for music that was later termed "dark wave", "goth", and "deathrock".