freezing

1 of 2

adjective

freez·​ing ˈfrē-ziŋ 

1

: very cold

"Put on your jacket. It's freezing outside!"

Addy rushed home through the darkening streets as if she were pushed along by the wind. She was freezing!

—Connie Porter

2

: being at or below the temperature at which water freezes

a forecast for freezing temperatures overnight

freezing adverb

The weather was freezing cold. [=very cold]

freezingly adverb

freezingly cold temperatures

Mrs. Reed's hands still lay on her work inactive: her eye of ice continued to dwell freezingly on mine.

—Charlotte Brontë

freezing

2 of 2

noun

: the temperature at which water freezes

temperatures dipping below freezing

Synonyms of freezing

Adjective

• cold
• icy
• frigid
• chilly
• chill
• cool

Examples of freezing in a Sentence

Adjective

why aren't you wearing a coat, as it's freezing outside?

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Richard claimed she was locked alone in the freezing car for two hours, unable to leave the vehicle because there were no interior door handles. —Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2026

Ensure that your freezer is set to the coldest setting before starting the flash-freezing process. —Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 12 June 2026

Noun

Folks shivering in the freezing cold to deliver our packages, picking up trash to keep our parks clean. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Lineage Logistics provides cold storage and blast-freezing inside the massive structure. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing freezing

• freezing point
• freezing rain

Rhymes for freezing

• easing
• pleasing
• seizing
• sneezing
• squeezing
• teasing
• wheezing
• appeasing
• displeasing