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
Adjective
Temperature and Humidity Coleus is cold-sensitive and does not tolerate any freezing temperatures. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2024 While the vast majority of Americans grappling with freezing temperatures could find comfort inside heated homes and businesses, more than 50,000 were out of power Tuesday evening in Oregon, where half of the 14 deaths attributed to the arctic blast have occurred. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
Noun
The budget's freezing of the K-12 per-pupil grant for 2025 at this year's level of $9,608 created a split with sectors of the public school education community that has been one of Whitmer's staunchest allies. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 27 June 2024 While this phase transition doesn't involve melting or freezing, it is associated with a major change in the capacitor's heat content. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for freezing 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freezing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near freezing

Cite this Entry

“Freezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freezing. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

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