icy

adjective

ˈī-sē 

icier; iciest

1

a

: covered with, abounding in, or consisting of ice

b

: intensely cold

2

: characterized by coldness : frigid

an icy stare

also : steely

icy nerves

icily

ˈī-sə-lē 

adverb

iciness

ˈī-sē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of icy

• frigid
• cold
• freezing
• chilly
• chill
• cool

Examples of icy in a Sentence

an icy drink that was especially refreshing on that hot afternoon

she wondered why the salesclerk at the boutique had given her an icy glare

Recent Examples on the Web

Sharing so much screen time with Meester gave the two actresses space to build a relationship that felt both dramatic and real, shifting from icy tension to surprising warmth. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026

An icy wind blew through the buckled windows. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

The icy wanderer has now entered the field of view of the sun-facing Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) instrument mounted on the joint ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft (SOHO), offering us a unique way to follow the comet's journey. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Astronomers caught a glimpse of 3I/ATLAS just days after the icy comet made its closest approach to the sun in late October 2025. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing icy

• icy cold

Rhymes for icy

• dicey
• lycee
• pricey
• spicy
• theodicy

Kids Definition

icy

adjective

ˈī-sē 

icier; iciest

1

a

: covered with, full of, or consisting of ice

b

: very cold

icy weather

2

: unfriendly sense 1

icily

-sə-lē 

adverb

iciness

-sē-nəs 

noun