frozen

American  

[froh-zuhn] / ˈfroʊ zən /

verb

1. past participle of freeze.

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adjective

1. congealed by cold; turned into ice.

2. covered with ice, as a stream.

3. frigid; very cold.

4. injured or killed by frost or cold.

5. obstructed by ice, as pipes.

6. chilly or cold in manner; unfeeling.

   a frozen stare.

7. rigid; immobilized.

   The child was frozen with fear.

8. quick-frozen.

   frozen foods.

9. (of food) chilled or refrigerated.

10. (especially of a drink) mixed with ice and frappéed in an electric blender.

11. in a form that is not readily convertible into cash; not liquid.

    frozen assets.

12. not permitted to be changed or incapable of being altered; fixed.

    frozen rents; frozen salaries.

13. Canasta. (of the discard pile) unable to be picked up by a player unless the player's hand contains a natural pair to match the top card of the pile.

frozen British  

/ ˈfrəʊzən /

verb

1. the past participle of freeze

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adjective

1. turned into or covered with ice

2. obstructed or blocked by ice

3. killed, injured, or stiffened by extreme cold

4. (of a region or climate) icy or snowy

5. (of food) preserved by a freezing process

6. 1. (of prices, wages, etc) arbitrarily pegged at a certain level

   2. (of business assets) not convertible into cash, as by government direction or business conditions

7. frigid, unfeeling, or disdainful in manner

8. motionless or unyielding

   he was frozen with horror

Other Word Forms

• frozenly adverb
• frozenness noun
• prefrozen adjective
• unfrozen adjective

Etymology

Origin of frozen

First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective

Explanation

Frozen liquids are so cold that they've become ice. Frozen orange juice makes a delicious homemade popsicle. If your car's door handle is frozen, it's impossible to open, and if your driveway's surface is frozen, it's a sheet of ice. If your TV dinner is still frozen after you cook it, your microwave may not be working properly. When people are frozen, they're often exaggerating how cold they are — or they may be struck as still as a statue, frozen in place. Frozen comes from freeze, with its Old English root freosan, "turn to ice."

Example Sentences

Hockey was a bruising, inelegant sport played in the frozen tundra of Canada and the upper Midwest when Vachon was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Kings in the winter of 1971.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Tehran is seeking fast relief from crippling sanctions, as well as access to billions of dollars in frozen funds and an end to Israel’s war on Hezbollah, Tehran’s Lebanese ally.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Also known as erythrosine, the synthetic, petroleum-based dye gives certain foods, like candies and frozen desserts, a bright, cherry-red hue.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

By shielding frozen crystals from the sun, heat, wind, and rain, melt is minimized.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

Every atom of my being is frozen and still.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• chilled
• frigid
• ice-cold
• iced
• icy