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

Boston will blame its frozen long ball shooting, but the reality is that, in the final three games of this series, the Celtics didn’t have the first, second or third best player on the floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Iran delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the US via mediator Pakistan, state media reported Friday, with negotiations between the two sides frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Together, these frozen reserves contain enough water to raise global sea levels by about 58 meters.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026

Recent budgets supported by Rivas essentially have frozen or modestly reduced school police staffing levels.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

I sat there as if I were frozen to the ground and watched that big monkey walk all around the bur oak, taking the apples and never stepping in a trap.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

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