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
The region where Wilga went missing is known for freezing nighttime temperatures, mixed difficult terrain, and total isolation. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025 The young girl then managed to find her way out of the woods and locate help without the aid of any of her devices, all in freezing temperatures. Chris Spargo, People.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
Once safe, the Chatterbox children – soaked and freezing – cuddled on the hill. Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 13 July 2025 The sanctions that hurt Russia the most—an oil-export ban, the freezing of two-thirds of its foreign reserves, and its exclusion from the SWIFT bank-to-bank payment network—all came from the EU. Andrew Ryvkin, The Atlantic, 16 June 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 18 Jul. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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