frigid

[frij-id]

adjective

1. very cold in temperature.

   a frigid climate.

2. without warmth of feeling; without ardor or enthusiasm.

   a frigid reaction to the suggested law.

3. stiff or formal.

   a welcome that was polite but frigid.

   Synonyms: cool, chilly, frosty, distant, standoffish, aloof

4. (of a woman)

   1. inhibited in the ability to experience sexual excitement during sexual activity.

   2. unresponsive to sexual advances or stimuli.

5. unemotional or unimaginative; lacking passion, sympathy, or sensitivity.

   a correct, but frigid presentation.

frigid

/ ˈfrɪdʒɪd /

adjective

1. formal or stiff in behaviour or temperament; lacking in affection or warmth

2. 1. lacking sexual responsiveness

   2. averse to sexual intercourse or unable to achieve orgasm during intercourse

3. characterized by physical coldness

   a frigid zone

Other Word Forms

• frigidness noun
• frigidly adverb
• nonfrigid adjective
• nonfrigidly adverb
• nonfrigidness noun
• unfrigid adjective
• unfrigidly adverb
• unfrigidness noun
• frigidity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigid¹

1590–1600; < Latin frīgidus, equivalent to frīg ( us ) coldness (akin to Greek rhîgos; rigid ) + -idus -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigid¹

C15: from Latin frigidus cold, from frīgēre to be cold, freeze; related to Latin frīgus frost

Example Sentences

Instead of frigid weather and snow on the ground, it was sunny and warm.

From Los Angeles Times

He was told he could travel to other parts of Chile but because of frigid temperatures was unable to leave the island, it added.

From BBC

It was the same experience for Sarah, who was told she was "frigid and boring".

From BBC

The prison was among one of the most notorious in the US at the time, and was considered inescapable because of the strong currents and frigid temperatures of San Francisco Bay.

From BBC

There’s Mamdani on a Coney Island beach, telling New Yorkers that he’s “freezing… their rent” before running into the frigid waters, clad in a $30 business suit from Steinway Thrift Shop.

From Salon

Related Words

• chilly 
• freezing 
• frosty 
• frozen 
• glacial 
• ice-cold 
• icy 
• wintry