frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfri-jəd 

1

a

: intensely cold

frigid water

b

: lacking warmth or ardor : indifferent

had an emotionally frigid father

2

: lacking imaginative qualities : insipid

writing precise and frigid poetry

3

: experiencing diminished or absent sexual desire or response

—used especially of a woman

frigidly adverb

frigidness noun

Synonyms of frigid

• icy
• chilly
• cold
• freezing
• chill
• cool

Examples of frigid in a Sentence

The frigid gusts of wind stung their faces.

She was born into an emotionally frigid family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nurses walked the picket lines outside hospitals for more than 25 days, braving frigid temperatures at times. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026

Fred Brathwaite, better known as Fab 5 Freddy, entered FlameKeepers on a frigid winter afternoon. —David Kamp, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026

Police are still seeking answers following the death of a 93-year-old woman who police say died shortly after she was found in frigid temperatures near a nursing home Sunday morning. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 Feb. 2026

Then, the girl who wouldn’t touch the frigid seawater at the Allas sea pool in Helsinki waded into the swimming hole. —Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin frigidus, from frigēre to be cold; akin to Latin frigus frost, cold, Greek rhigos

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing frigid

• frigid zone

Rhymes for frigid

• rigid

Kids Definition

frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfrij-əd 

1

: freezing cold

2

: not friendly

a frigid stare

frigidity

frij-ˈid-ət-ē

noun

frigidly

ˈfrij-əd-lē

adverb

frigidness noun

Medical Definition

frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfrij-əd 

1

: lacking sexual desire : abnormally averse to sexual intercourse

—used especially of women

2

of a female : unable to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse