frigid

[ frij-id ]

adjective

1. very cold in temperature:

   a frigid climate.

2. without warmth of feeling; without ardor or enthusiasm:

   a frigid reaction to the suggested law.

3. stiff or formal:

   a welcome that was polite but frigid.

   Synonyms: cool, chilly, frosty, distant, standoffish, aloof

4. (of a woman)
   1. inhibited in the ability to experience sexual excitement during sexual activity.
   2. unresponsive to sexual advances or stimuli.
5. unemotional or unimaginative; lacking passion, sympathy, or sensitivity:

   a correct, but frigid presentation.

frigid

/ ˈfrɪdʒɪd /

adjective

1. formal or stiff in behaviour or temperament; lacking in affection or warmth
2. esp of a woman
   1. lacking sexual responsiveness
   2. averse to sexual intercourse or unable to achieve orgasm during intercourse
3. characterized by physical coldness

   a frigid zone

Derived Forms

• friˈgidity, noun
• ˈfrigidly, adverb

Other Words From

• frigid·ness noun
• frigid·ly adverb
• non·frigid adjective
• non·frigid·ly adverb
• non·frigid·ness noun
• un·frigid adjective
• un·frigid·ly adverb
• un·frigid·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigid¹

1590–1600; < Latin frīgidus, equivalent to frīg ( us ) coldness (akin to Greek rhîgos; rigid ) + -idus -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigid¹

C15: from Latin frigidus cold, from frīgēre to be cold, freeze; related to Latin frīgus frost

Example Sentences

Laid up in a frigid L.A. apartment with a nasty case of bronchitis, glued to cable news from sunup to midnight, I spent countless hours before, during and after election day 2020 watching wonks like MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki and CNN’s John King and Phil Mattingly dissect turnout: early and day-of, in-person and mail-in, not only in the swing states that decided the outcome, but also the swing districts, the swing precincts.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s when her portentous warpaint emerges, a crisp black border drawn from tear duct to wing crowning a frigid, distrustful gaze.

From Salon

That earned them a spot in the best-of-five NL Championship Series, where the Dodgers erased a two-games-to-one deficit by winning twice in frigid Montreal, including a 2-1 Game 5 thriller in which Rick Monday hit a game-winning two-out homer in the ninth inning of what Expos fans still refer to as “Blue Monday.”

From Los Angeles Times

A video posted on social media last week showed passengers draped in woollens, walking down the icy ladder of an Air India plane into the frigid air of Iqaluit, a remote city in Canada.

From BBC

Like a released champagne cork, laughter exploded and bubbled over, and the chemistry in the car changed from frigid temps to cozy and comfortable.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chilly
• freezing
• frosty
• frozen
• glacial
• ice-cold
• icy
• wintry