icy

[ahy-see]

adjective

icier, iciest 

1. made of, full of, or covered with ice.

   icy roads.

2. resembling ice.

3. cold.

   icy winds.

4. without warmth of feeling; coldly unfriendly; frigid.

   an icy stare.

   Synonyms: chilly, cool, distant, cold

icy

/ ˈaɪsɪ /

adjective

1. made of, covered with, or containing ice

2. resembling ice

3. freezing or very cold

4. cold or reserved in manner; aloof

Word History and Origins

Origin of icy¹

before 900; Middle English isy, Old English īsig. See ice, -y ¹

Example Sentences

Penelope looked at the quartet of panting, salivating beasts; the icy feeling at the back of her neck returned.

Read more on Literature

She taught him—by demonstrating—to seek shelter in caves or hollow trees when the weather was icy cold.

Read more on Literature

One of the most dramatic findings came from Enceladus, a small icy moon where towering geysers shot material into space, creating a faint sub-ring around Saturn made of the ejected debris.

Read more on Science Daily

On Monday night, icy stretches are likely in the far north and across Grampian as rain and sleet showers fall on frozen surfaces.

Read more on BBC

It is unlikely to be as bad as the snowy and icy spell this time last year which closed hundreds of schools and gave 12cm of snow in Nottingham.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• chilly 
• cold 
• freezing 
• frigid 
• frosty 
• glacial 
• polar 
• raw