freeze
FREEZ
Freeze (verb) means to turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does. Example: “Water freezes when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius.”
verb
1
To turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does.
"Water freezes when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius."
"The pond froze solid enough to skate on by January."
"She froze the leftover soup in small containers for later."
2
To suddenly become motionless, often from fear or surprise.
"He froze when he saw the snake coiled by his foot."
3
Of a machine, program, or system, to stop responding.
"The app keeps freezing whenever I try to open my photos."
"If the screen freezes, hold the power button until it restarts."
"My laptop froze right in the middle of the video call."
4
To stop something, such as prices, wages, or assets, from changing or moving.
"The council voted to freeze rents for the whole of next year."
"The company decided to freeze salaries until business improved."
"The government froze the bank accounts linked to the fraud investigation."
noun
1
A period of very cold weather, or an official halt on something changing.
"A hard freeze overnight killed the tender plants in the allotment."
"The union asked for an end to the pay freeze."
"The company announced a hiring freeze until the new budget was approved."
How to use freeze
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTurning solid from cold, stopping suddenly out of fear, a computer stopping responding, or officially halting something like prices or hiring.
Common pairings
freeze to death
freeze up
wage freeze
freeze in place
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Word forms
- Plural
- freezes
- Third person singular
- freezes
- Past tense
- froze, frore, frozen
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Water _____ when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius.
Etymology
From Old English freosan, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to freeze," ultimately traced to a Proto-Indo-European word for frost.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for freeze
See all rhymes for freeze →Frequently asked questions
What does “freeze” mean?
The word “freeze” means to turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does. In plain terms, turning solid from cold, stopping suddenly out of fear, a computer stopping responding, or officially halting something like prices or hiring.
How do you pronounce “freeze”?
“Freeze” is pronounced FREEZ (/ˈfɹiːz/ in IPA).
How do you use “freeze” in a sentence?
Here is “freeze” used in a sentence: “The company announced a hiring freeze until the new budget was approved.”
What part of speech is “freeze”?
Depending on how it is used, “freeze” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “freeze” come from?
The word “freeze” comes from Old English. From Old English freosan, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to freeze," ultimately traced to a Proto-Indo-European word for frost.
Is “freeze” a common word?
“Freeze” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “freeze” have?
“Freeze” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does.
What is the difference between "freeze" and "frost"?
To "freeze" is to turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does. "Frost" refers to the thin layer of ice crystals that forms on surfaces in cold weather, and as a verb means to cover with that layer.
What is the past tense of "freeze"?
"Freeze" is an irregular verb: its past tense is "froze" and its past participle is "frozen," as in "the lake froze" and "the lake has frozen." The present participle is "freezing."
When do you use "freeze" to mean stop moving?
Use "freeze" figuratively when someone suddenly becomes motionless, often from fear or surprise, as in "she froze when she heard the noise." The command "Freeze!" tells a person to stop moving instantly.
What is the difference between "freeze" and "chill"?
To "freeze" is to lower temperature until something turns solid, while to "chill" is to make something cold without freezing it solid. You chill drinks in a fridge but freeze water into ice.
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