freezing

1 of 2

adjective

freez·​ing ˈfrē-ziŋ How to pronounce freezing (audio)
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

Examples of freezing in a Sentence

Adjective why aren't you wearing a coat, as it's freezing outside?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
City attorneys also recommended a settlement for Briana Keys, who had called 911 after being locked out of her New City neighborhood home on a freezing, near-zero February night four years ago. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 Flashes of orange lava leaked through the seafloor before hardening in the freezing water, indicating an eruption was taking place. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Noun
For seven minutes, Van Hollen criticized Rubio on his handling of issues ranging from the freezing of humanitarian assistance in Sudan during a genocide, deportations to El Salvador without due process and revoking student visas. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 20 May 2025 Faced with a crushing financial deficit totaling $265 million over the next two years, Oakland’s interim mayor proposed a budget Monday that includes dozens of layoffs and the freezing of hundreds of other positions. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for freezing

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freezing was circa 1616

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Cite this Entry

“Freezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freezing. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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