congeal

American  

[kuhn-jeel] / kənˈdʒil /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing.

   The fat congealed on the top of the soup.

   Synonyms:

   solidify, jell, set, harden

2. to curdle; coagulate, as a fluid.

3. to make or become fixed, as ideas, sentiments, or principles.

   Some philosophic systems lost their vitality and congealed.

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congeal British  

/ kənˈdʒiːl /

verb

1. to change or cause to change from a soft or fluid state to a firm or solid state

2. to form or cause to form into a coagulated mass; curdle; jell

3. (intr) (of ideas) to take shape or become fixed in form

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Other Word Forms

• congealability noun
• congealable adjective
• congealableness noun
• congealedness noun
• congealer noun
• congealment noun
• half-congealed adjective
• noncongealing adjective
• uncongeal verb (used without object)
• uncongealable adjective

Etymology

Origin of congeal

1350–1400; Middle English congelen (< Middle French congeler ) < Latin congelāre, equivalent to con- con- + gelāre to freeze; gelid

Explanation

Congeal means to jell — to solidify or become gelatinous. Sounds gross? But wiggly Jell-O is actually congealed liquid, so it can't be that bad, right? This word comes to us from the Old French word congeler, which means "to freeze." So when something congeals it goes from liquid to solid form, almost like freezing. No one usually likes congealed anything — whether it's chunkified old soup in the fridge or dried blood on a wound. See? Pretty gross. Jell-O is about as good as congealed gets!

Example Sentences

Aim for dishes that still taste perfectly fine when eaten lukewarm, that don’t seize up or congeal the moment they cool.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

"So they stay in one piece, and they gather together with fat, oil, and grease from kitchens, congeal and create a fatberg which causes flooding."

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Yet, Pitt can’t resist quirking up the character in ways that don’t totally congeal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

This can create a fascinating doubling in the sense that there’s the movie in front of you and its layered references, all of which can flow together when they don’t congeal, which alas happens here.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2024

While hardly true, this explanation had the demonstrable advantage of permitting Jefferson’s vision of a Federalist conspiracy to congeal in a plausible pattern that formed around Washington without touching him directly.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• curdle
• thicken