noun

iceberg

YS-burg

noun

A huge chunk of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier or ice shelf and floats in the ocean.

"The ship altered course to avoid a massive iceberg."

"Only a small part of an iceberg shows above the water."

A person who seems cold, distant, or emotionally unreachable.

"He acted like an iceberg during the whole meeting, giving nothing away."

How to Use Iceberg

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA large floating mass of ice, or figuratively, something whose true scale is mostly hidden.

Memory tip

"The tip of the iceberg" means only a small, visible part of a much bigger problem.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

tip of the iceberg hit an iceberg

icebergs plural

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Can you complete this real example?

The ship altered course to avoid a massive _____.

Adapted from Dutch ijsberg, literally "ice mountain."