thaw

American  

[thaw] / θɔ /

verb (used without object)

1. to pass or change from a frozen to a liquid or semiliquid state; melt.

   Antonyms:

   freeze

2. to be freed from the physical effect of frost or extreme cold (sometimes followed byout ).

   Sit by the fire and thaw out.

   Synonyms:

   warm

3. (of the weather) to become warm enough to melt ice and snow.

   It will probably thaw today.

4. to become less formal, reserved, or aloof.

   He thawed at their kindness.

5. to become less hostile or tense.

   International relations thawed.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to change from a frozen to a liquid or semiliquid state; melt.

2. to free from the physical effect of frost or extreme cold; bring to a more normal temperature, especially to room temperature.

   I took the steaks out of the freezer and thawed them.

3. to make less cold, formal, or reserved.

   Synonyms:

   warm

4. to make less tense or hostile.

noun

1. the act or process of thawing.

2. the act or fact of becoming less formal, reserved, or aloof.

3. a reduction or easing in tension or hostility.

4. (in winter or in areas where freezing weather is the norm) weather warm enough to melt ice and snow.

5. a period of such weather.

   We had a two-week thaw in January.

6. the thaw, the first day in the year when ice in harbors, rivers, etc., breaks up or loosens enough to begin flowing to the sea, allowing navigation.

   The Anchorage thaw came on May 18th.

thaw British  

/ θɔː /

verb

1. to melt or cause to melt from a solid frozen state

   the snow thawed

2. to become or cause to become unfrozen; defrost

3. (intr) to be the case that the ice or snow is melting

   it's thawing fast

4. (intr) to become more sociable, relaxed, or friendly

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noun

1. the act or process of thawing

2. a spell of relatively warm weather, causing snow or ice to melt

3. an increase in relaxation or friendliness

Related Words

See melt ¹.

Other Word Forms

• rethaw
  verb
• thawer
  noun
• thawless
  adjective
• underthaw
  verb
• unthawed
  adjective
• unthawing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of thaw

First recorded before 1000; (verb) Middle English thawen, Old English thawian; cognate with Dutch dooien, Old Norse theyja; (noun) late Middle English, derivative of the verb

Explanation

When things thaw, they're coming out of deep freeze and warming up. You can thaw a chicken, and a chilly friendship can thaw too. Anything that thaws is warming up after a frigid or chilly period. The weather thaws when spring hits, especially after a bad winter. When you take food out of the freezer, it thaws. When you have an unpleasant relationship with someone, that can thaw too. A warm, friendly gesture from one person to another can be a sign that their cold relationship is thawing. When you think of thawing, think "Warming up."

Example Sentences

And perhaps The Thaw — this slack, uncertain hinge between spectacle and bloom — deserves the same treatment.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

Appeared in the October 21, 2025, print edition as 'Apple and Trade Thaw Lift Stocks Toward New Highs'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

Senior Adam Thaw, 21, said activists blocked him and others from accessing a public walkway to Powell Library.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024

One flood warning is in place in Wales, near the River Ritec at Tenby, and there are four flood alerts, near the River Thaw in south Wales, and near the River Dee in the north.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2024

The snow still fell, a mild spring blizzard, much pleasanter than the relentless rain of the Thaw just past.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• defrost
• dissolve
• loosen
• melt
• relax
• soften
• warm up