Freeze Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 6, 2024
Freeze means to turn into ice or another solid as a result of extreme cold. e.g., The water in the lake will freeze overnight.
Table of Contents
Freeze Definitions
To hold something at a fixed level or prevent it from increasing.
The company decided to freeze salaries due to budget constraints.
To become immobilized or unable to act or speak due to shock or fear.
She would freeze whenever she had to speak in public.
To preserve food by subjecting it to rapid freezing and storing it at a very low temperature.
Freezing fruits helps retain their nutrients for longer.
To become fixed in a particular expression, attitude, or state.
His face would freeze in a smile whenever he was nervous.
To stop moving or flowing; to solidify.
The mechanism froze due to the cold temperature.
To make or become stiff or rigid, often due to cold.
My fingers started to freeze during the winter hike.
To cause something to become extremely cold and hard, typically by exposure to cold air or in a freezer.
They decided to freeze the leftovers for later.
In computing, to become temporarily unresponsive or inoperative.
My computer tends to freeze if too many applications are open.
To stop or be suspended, typically in a legal or financial context.
The bank accounts were frozen by the authorities.
To fix or hold at a particular point or level of development.
The project was frozen at the planning stage.
To pass from the liquid to the solid state by loss of heat.
To acquire a surface or coat of ice from cold
The lake froze over in January. Bridges freeze before the adjacent roads.
To become clogged or jammed because of the formation of ice
The pipes froze in the basement.
To be at that degree of temperature at which ice forms
It may freeze tonight.
To be killed or harmed by cold or frost
They almost froze to death. Mulch keeps garden plants from freezing.
To be or feel uncomfortably cold
Aren't you freezing without a coat?.
To become fixed, stuck, or attached by or as if by frost
The lock froze up with rust.
To stop functioning properly, usually temporarily
My computer screen froze when I opened the infected program.
To become motionless or immobile, as from surprise or attentiveness
I heard a sound and froze in my tracks.
To become unable to act or speak, as from fear
Froze in front of the audience.
To become rigid and inflexible; solidify
An opinion that froze into dogma.
To convert into ice.
To cause ice to form upon.
To cause to congeal or stiffen from extreme cold
Winter cold that froze the ground.
To preserve (foods, for example) by subjecting to freezing temperatures.
To damage, kill, or make inoperative by cold or by the formation of ice.
To make very cold; chill.
To immobilize, as with fear or shock.
To chill with an icy or formal manner
Froze me with one look.
To stop the motion or progress of
The negotiations were frozen by the refusal of either side to compromise.
Froze the video in order to discuss the composition of the frame.
To fix (prices or wages, for example) at a given or current level.
To prohibit further manufacture or use of.
To prevent or restrict the exchange, withdrawal, liquidation, or granting of by governmental action
Freeze investment loans during a depression.
Froze foreign assets held by US banks.
To anesthetize by chilling.
(Sports) To keep possession of (a ball or puck) so as to deny an opponent the opportunity to score.
The act of freezing.
The state of being frozen.
A spell of cold weather; a frost.
A restriction that forbids a quantity from rising above a given or current level
A freeze on city jobs.
A proposed freeze on the production of nuclear weapons.
Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature.
The lake froze solid.
(transitive) To lower something's temperature to the point that it freezes or becomes hard.
Don't freeze meat twice.
(intransitive) To drop to a temperature below zero degrees celsius, where water turns to ice.
It didn't freeze this winter, but last winter was very harsh.
To be affected by extreme cold.
It's freezing in here!
Don't go outside wearing just a t-shirt; you'll freeze!
(intransitive) (of machines and software) To come to a sudden halt, stop working (functioning).
Since the last update, the program freezes after a few minutes of use.
(intransitive) (of people and other animals) To stop (become motionless) or be stopped due to attentiveness, fear, surprise, etc.
Despite all of the rehearsals, I froze as soon as I got on stage.
(transitive) To cause someone to become motionless.
(figuratively) To lose or cause to lose warmth of feeling; to shut out; to ostracize.
Over time, he froze towards her, and ceased to react to her friendly advances.
To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.
(transitive) To prevent the movement or liquidation of a person's financial assets
The court froze the criminal's bank account.
Of prices, spending etc., to keep at the same level, without any increase.
(Internet) To prevent from showing any visible change.
Some websites, such as YouTube, deliberately freeze the view count, intended to deter attempts to game the system.
A period of intensely cold weather.
A halt of a regular operation.
(computer) The state when either a single computer program, or the whole system ceases to respond to inputs.
(curling) A precise draw weight shot where a delivered stone comes to a stand-still against a stationary stone, making it nearly impossible to knock out.
A block on pay rises or on the hiring of new employees etc.
A hiring freeze;
A pay freeze
A frieze.
The act of congealing, or the state of being congealed.
To become congealed by cold; to be changed from a liquid to a solid state by the abstraction of heat; to be hardened into ice or a like solid body.
To congeal; to harden into ice; to convert from a fluid to a solid form by cold, or abstraction of heat.
To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.
A faint, cold fear runs through my veins,That almost freezes up the heat of life.
A railroad which had a London connection must not be allowed to freeze out one that had no such connection.
It is sometimes a long time before a player who is frozen out can get into a game again.
The withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid
Weather cold enough to cause freezing
An interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement;
A halt in the arms race
A nuclear freeze
Fixing (of prices or wages etc) at a particular level;
A freeze on hiring
Change to ice;
The water in the bowl froze
Stop moving or become immobilized;
When he saw the police car he froze
Be cold;
I could freeze to death in this office when the air conditioning is turned on
Cause to freeze;
Freeze the leftover food
Stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it;
Suspend the aid to the war-torn country
Be very cold, below the freezing point;
It is freezing in Kalamazoo
Change from a liquid to a solid when cold;
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit
Prohibit the conversion or use of (assets);
Blocked funds
Freeze the assets of this hostile government
Anesthetize by cold
Suddenly behave coldly and formally;
She froze when she saw her ex-husband
Freeze Snonyms
Crystallize
To form crystals or become crystal-like.
Sugar crystallizes when a solution is supersaturated.
Chill
To make (something) cold.
Chill the drinks before serving.
Ice up
To become covered with ice, often causing malfunction.
The airplane wings iced up, causing flight delays.
Congeal
To change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state.
The blood had congealed around the wound.
Solidify
To make or become hard or solid.
The liquid solidifies when frozen.
Immobilize
To prevent (something or someone) from moving or operating as normal.
The cold weather immobilized the car's engine.
Frost
To cover something with or as if with a thin layer of ice.
The ground was frosted with a thin layer of snow.
Glaciate
To cover with ice or glaciers; to freeze.
The valley was glaciated during the last ice age.
Set
To become firm, fixed, or settled.
The jelly sets when cooled in the refrigerator.
Harden
To become or make hard or solid.
The cement hardens within hours.
Freeze Idioms & Phrases
Freeze over
To become covered with ice.
The lake will freeze over if the cold snap continues.
Freeze out
To exclude or shut out from participation.
He felt frozen out by his colleagues after the disagreement.
Freeze someone out
To deliberately exclude someone.
They tried to freeze her out of the group discussions.
Freeze up
To become suddenly unable to function or speak.
She tends to freeze up during interviews.
Freeze frame
A moment captured and held still, especially in film or photography.
The movie ended on a freeze frame of the protagonist's smile.
Give the freeze
To ignore someone completely.
After the fallout, he gave her the freeze at social gatherings.
Freeze Example Sentences
The pond is expected to freeze over tonight.
He felt his heart freeze with fear when he heard the news.
The government announced a freeze on tax increases.
Every time I open that program, my laptop freezes.
Make sure to freeze the meat properly to avoid spoilage.
They had to freeze their plans due to unforeseen circumstances.
The water pipes might freeze and burst in such cold conditions.
Her expression seemed to freeze into a look of disbelief.
The river will freeze if the temperature drops further.
Freeze the cake to enjoy it at a later date.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide freeze into syllables?
"Freeze" does not divide into syllables as it is a single syllable word.
How many syllables are in freeze?
There is one syllable in "freeze."
What is a stressed syllable in freeze?
The entire word "freeze" is stressed, as it is only one syllable.
What is the first form of freeze?
The first form is "freeze," as in the base form of the verb.
How is freeze used in a sentence?
"Freeze" can be used to describe the act of liquid turning into ice or someone becoming immobile, e.g., The water will freeze tonight.
What is the verb form of freeze?
The verb form is "freeze," with "froze" as the simple past and "frozen" as the past participle.
What is the pronunciation of freeze?
"Freeze" is pronounced as /friːz/.
What is another term for freeze?
Another term for "freeze" could be "solidify" or "crystallize," depending on the context.
What is the singular form of freeze?
The singular form is "freeze."
Why is it called freeze?
It is called "freeze" because it derives from the Old English "freosan," meaning to turn to ice, reflecting the process of becoming solid due to cold.
What part of speech is freeze?
"Freeze" is a verb, indicating the action of turning into ice or becoming immobile.
Is freeze a collective noun?
"Freeze" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the freeze term a metaphor?
"Freeze" can be used metaphorically, such as in "freeze the assets" or "freeze in fear," indicating a halt or a state of immobility.
What is the root word of freeze?
The root word of "freeze" is from the Old English "freosan."
What is the plural form of freeze?
"Freeze" does not have a plural form when used as a verb. As a noun, it could be "freezes," referring to multiple instances of freezing conditions or events.
What is the opposite of freeze?
The opposite of "freeze" could be "melt" or "thaw," referring to the transition from solid to liquid.
Is freeze an adverb?
"Freeze" is not an adverb. The adverb form related to "freeze" would be "frozenly," but it is rarely used.
Which determiner is used with freeze?
Determiners such as "a," "the," and "this" can be used with "freeze" when it is used as a noun, e.g., "A freeze is predicted for tonight."
What is the second form of freeze?
The second form is "froze," indicating the past tense.
What is the third form of freeze?
The third form is "frozen," used as the past participle.
Is freeze a noun or adjective?
"Freeze" is primarily a verb, but it can also be used as a noun, e.g., during a freeze. It is not commonly used as an adjective.
Is freeze a negative or positive word?
"Freeze" is neutral; its positive or negative connotation depends on the context.
Is freeze a vowel or consonant?
The word "freeze" starts with a consonant.
Which vowel is used before freeze?
The vowel "e" is used before the "z" sound in "freeze," as seen in the double "e."
Is the word freeze Gerund?
The gerund form of "freeze" is "freezing," which functions as a noun, e.g., "Freezing temperatures are expected tonight."
Which conjunction is used with freeze?
Conjunctions such as "and" or "but" can be used with "freeze," e.g., "It will freeze and snow," "It might freeze but not for long."
Which article is used with freeze?
Both the definite article "the" and the indefinite article "a" can be used with "freeze" when it is used as a noun, e.g., "The freeze caused damage," "A freeze is expected tonight."
Is freeze an abstract noun?
When "freeze" is used as a noun, it can be considered a concrete noun rather than an abstract noun, as it refers to a physical state or condition.
Is freeze a countable noun?
When used as a noun, "freeze" can be countable, referring to specific instances or events of freezing conditions.
Is the word freeze imperative?
"Freeze" can be used in the imperative mood as a command, often in law enforcement or emergency situations, e.g., "Freeze! Don't move!"
Is the word “freeze” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Freeze" can be related to a direct object when used as a verb, e.g., "The cold will freeze the water." It does not typically relate to an indirect object in its standard usage.
Which preposition is used with freeze?
Prepositions such as "at," "to," and "in" can be used with "freeze," depending on the context, e.g., "freeze at zero degrees," "freeze to ice," "freeze in time."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
