freezing
Americanadjective
-
(of temperatures) approaching, at, or below the freezing point.
-
extremely or uncomfortably cold; chilled.
We were both freezing and welcomed the hot cocoa.
-
beginning to freeze or partially frozen; in the process of being or becoming frozen.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- freezingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of freezing
Vocabulary lists containing freezing
Chemistry - Introductory
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Chemistry - High School
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Chemistry - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While the 32-year-old officer said the truce had not been "fully" observed, the lull had allowed his soldiers of the 33rd Mechanised Brigade to attend an Easter Sunday mass outside in the freezing forest chill.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
The prefrontal cortex helps guide decisions in fearful situations, while deeper areas such as the periaqueductal gray in the midbrain control responses like freezing or fleeing.
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
With temperatures ranging from below freezing in August to 40C in the summer months, it would also have been tough without shelter.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Some rail operators worry about the reliability of battery locomotives, especially in freezing temperatures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
There were nights trying to sleep in a freezing tent, with 30-mile-per-hour winds ripping at the sides.
From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
