frozen
frozen — adjective
1. When a liquid changes into a solid state because the temperature has dropped bel
When a liquid changes into a solid state because the temperature has dropped below the point where water turns to ice.
Otis put leftover soup in the freezer, where it became frozen within a few hours.
collocation: frozen solid / completely frozen
The old pipes in Indra's kitchen burst when water froze and expanded into frozen blocks.
Anjali checked the lake's surface and saw that the top layer was frozen solid, safe enough to skate on.
passive: was frozen solid
Brandon left a bottle of water in the car overnight, and by morning the contents were completely frozen.
- frozen solid
- frozen over
- completely frozen
- frozen block
- frozen lake
- frozen solid
emphasizes that something is completely hard, not just cold
- iced over
used specifically for surfaces covered with ice
- solidified
more formal and technical
Usage Note
Often followed by 'solid' or 'over' to indicate the degree or extent of the change: 'frozen solid,' 'frozen over.'
Common Mistakes
2. Used to describe weather that is extremely cold, with air temperatures that stay
Used to describe weather that is extremely cold, with air temperatures that stay below 0°C for a long time.
The frozen air bit at Nala's cheeks as she walked the five blocks to the bus stop in January.
collocation: frozen air / frozen winter
During the frozen winter of 2023, temperatures in Christopher's town stayed below minus ten for two weeks.
Wei packed extra blankets for the trip north, knowing the frozen conditions would make sleeping difficult.
pattern: frozen + noun (conditions, weather, winter)
Rania's car would not start on that frozen morning because the battery had lost all its power.
- frozen weather
- frozen winter
- frozen conditions
- frozen air
- frozen morning
Usage Note
Describes weather conditions, not objects. For objects that are very cold, use sense 5 instead.
Common Mistakes
3. Food that is frozen has been kept extremely cold to stop it from going bad, so p
Food that is frozen has been kept extremely cold to stop it from going bad, so people can cook it weeks or even months later.
Alessia grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer to put on her swollen ankle.
collocation: frozen peas / frozen vegetables
Antonia prefers fresh vegetables, but she always keeps a few bags of frozen corn for quick meals.
The supermarket's frozen section was fully stocked with pizzas, berries, and fish fillets.
collocation: frozen section (aisle in a supermarket)
Élise defrosted the frozen chicken in the fridge overnight before roasting it for dinner.
- frozen food
- frozen vegetables
- frozen meat
- frozen fish
- frozen pizza
- frozen section
- frozen dinner
- flash-frozen
frozen very quickly to preserve quality
- deep-frozen
stored at a very low temperature
Usage Note
Only for food that has been intentionally frozen for preservation. Food that has frozen accidentally (e.g., vegetables left outside in winter) is described differently.
Common Mistakes
4. When ground or water is frozen, every bit of moisture inside becomes ice, which
When ground or water is frozen, every bit of moisture inside becomes ice, which makes the surface extremely hard.
Heloísa tried to dig, but the ground was frozen solid after three days of frost.
collocation: frozen solid / frozen ground
The frozen earth crunched under Otis's boots as he walked across the field.
Brandon could not drive the fence post into the frozen soil no matter how hard he tried.
pattern: frozen + noun (earth, soil, ground)
After the snow melted, the frozen ground stayed too hard for the farmers to begin planting.
- frozen ground
- frozen soil
- frozen earth
- frozen solid
- frozen lake
- frozen river
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes the change from liquid to solid, while sense 4 describes the state of a natural surface that has become hard due to cold.
5. Someone whose body feels frozen is suffering from extreme cold, often with disco
Someone whose body feels frozen is suffering from extreme cold, often with discomfort, pain, or numbness in their hands, feet, or face.
Indra stood at the bus stop for forty minutes and by the time the bus arrived she was frozen through.
collocation: frozen through
Wei's fingers were frozen after he scraped the ice off the windshield without wearing gloves.
When Anjali came in from the snowstorm, her ears were frozen and bright red from the cold.
pattern: body part + were frozen
The rescue team wrapped the frozen hiker in warm blankets and gave him hot tea.
- frozen through
- frozen stiff
- frozen to the bone
- absolutely frozen
- frozen fingers
- frozen hands
- freezing
less extreme; used for the feeling of becoming cold
- frozen stiff
very cold, unable to move easily
Usage Note
Often used in informal speech to complain about cold. 'I'm frozen' means you feel extremely cold. For weather that makes you feel this way, use 'freezing' instead ('It's freezing outside').
Common Mistakes
6. A person who is frozen by a strong emotion, especially fear or shock, stays comp
A person who is frozen by a strong emotion, especially fear or shock, stays completely still and is unable to move or react.
When the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night, little Romi stood frozen in the hallway.
pattern: stood frozen + [location]
Eitan was frozen with fear as the large dog ran toward him, barking loudly.
pattern: be frozen with [emotion]
Rania stood frozen mid-sentence when her ex-boss walked into the restaurant where she was eating.
The deer stood frozen in the car's headlights for a moment before darting into the trees.
Amani was frozen to the spot when the teacher called her name to answer a question she had not heard.
collocation: frozen to the spot
- frozen with fear
- frozen with shock
- frozen to the spot
- stood frozen
- frozen in place
- frozen mid-sentence
- paralyzed
stronger; suggests complete inability to function
- petrified
so scared you feel turned to stone
- rooted to the spot
idiom meaning unable to move from where you stand
- still
broader term, any lack of motion
Grammar Patterns
be frozen with [emotion]
stand frozen
remain frozen
Usage Note
Very commonly used with 'with' followed by an emotion: frozen with fear, frozen with shock, frozen with terror. The person is still alive but temporarily unable to act.
Common Mistakes
7. When prices, wages, or financial assets are frozen, they are officially fixed at
When prices, wages, or financial assets are frozen, they are officially fixed at a current level or temporarily blocked from being used or moved by a government or court.
The government announced that bus fares would remain frozen for another year to help commuters.
collocation: frozen prices / frozen fares
After the legal dispute, all of Aylin's bank accounts were frozen until the case was settled.
collocation: frozen bank accounts / frozen assets
Teachers went on strike when their salaries were frozen for the third year in a row.
collocation: frozen salaries / frozen wages
The company's assets were frozen by the authorities while the fraud investigation continued.
passive: assets were frozen
Renting prices in the city have been frozen to help low-income families afford housing.
- frozen prices
- frozen assets
- frozen wages
- frozen salaries
- frozen account
- frozen rent
- remain frozen
- frozen funds
Usage Note
This sense is most common in financial, legal, and government contexts. It always involves an official decision by an authority (government, court, company) — not a natural process.
Common Mistakes
8. A person who is frozen in manner or expression appears distant and completely un
A person who is frozen in manner or expression appears distant and completely unfriendly, showing no emotional warmth toward others.
Antonia's mother gave her a frozen stare when she came home two hours past curfew.
collocation: frozen stare / frozen expression
The atmosphere at the meeting was frozen, with everyone refusing to look at one another.
Élise tried to make conversation, but Hao's frozen expression told her to stop.
pattern: frozen + noun (expression, smile, face, stare)
Heloísa's normally warm smile turned into a frozen mask when she heard the insult.
- frozen stare
- frozen expression
- frozen smile
- frozen face
- frozen atmosphere
- frozen look
Usage Note
Always describes a person's expression or the atmosphere of a social situation, never a person directly ('a frozen person' is not used in this sense). Common in narrative writing.
frozen to the bone
idiomTo be extremely cold, as if the cold has reached deep inside your body.
After waiting two hours for the bus in the snowstorm, Otis was frozen to the bone.
The hikers were frozen to the bone by the time they reached the mountain shelter.
frozen in time
idiomA place, situation, or moment that has not changed at all over many years, as if time has stopped.
Walking into the old village was like stepping into a place frozen in time.
The photograph captured a moment frozen in time, with everyone laughing together.
To fill someone with a sudden, intense feeling of terror.
The sound of footsteps in the empty house made her blood run cold.
The scream that came from the basement froze everyone's blood.
frozen — verb
1. Frozen is the form of the verb freeze that is used with helping verbs such as ha
Frozen is the form of the verb freeze that is used with helping verbs such as has, have, or had to show that something has already changed into a solid state because of cold, or that something has become blocked with ice.
The lake has frozen over completely, so the ice-skating competition can begin next week.
present perfect: has frozen over
By the time Christopher checked the engine, the coolant had frozen inside the radiator.
past perfect: had frozen
Amani has frozen all the extra soup in small containers so she can eat it later.
The river had frozen solid by early December, cutting off the ferry service.
past perfect + result clause
- has frozen
- have frozen
- had frozen
- frozen over
- frozen solid
- frozen in place
- melted
changed back to liquid
Grammar Patterns
has/have/had frozen
be frozen (passive)
Usage Note
This is the past participle form only. Use 'froze' for the simple past tense. 'Frozen' always needs a helper verb like has, have, or had, or appears in passive constructions (is frozen, was frozen).
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/6
Frozen and paralyzed both describe an inability to move, but frozen emphasizes a sudden, fear-induced stillness that is usually temporary, while paralyzed suggests a more complete and prolonged shutdown of movement. Petrified adds a stronger element of terror — a person feels as if they have turned to stone from extreme fear. Rooted to the spot is an idiom that emphasizes being unable to leave a particular place, often from shock or fear rather than physical cold. Still is the broadest term, describing any lack of movement regardless of the cause — a person can choose to be still, but cannot easily choose to stop being frozen. For example: 'Maya stood frozen when the car skidded toward her' (sudden fear stopping all movement); 'The rabbit was petrified by the snake's gaze' (extreme terror); 'Hiro was rooted to the spot as the verdict was read' (emotional shock preventing any action).
Common collocations
Nouns
- ice
- water
- assets
- prices
- wages
Phrases
- frozen to the spot
- frozen in time
- frozen to the bone
Etymology
Frozen comes from the Old English verb frēosan (to freeze), which has roots in Proto-Germanic *freusaną. The past participle form froren appeared in Old English, later shifting to frozen in Middle English under the influence of similar strong verbs. The word has been used since the 14th century, and its metaphorical meanings — referring to emotional coldness, fixed financial assets, and fear-induced stillness — developed gradually from the 16th to 20th centuries.