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

Plastic wipes don't disintegrate when flushed down the toilet, so when oil and fat congeal on them, so-called fatbergs form in sewers, which water companies say cost them £200m a year to clear.

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

“They kind of take the randomness and they congeal it back into the volume. That’s the way of going from randomness to content. And that’s how you can make random videos.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 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