freezing

adjective

freez·ing | \ ˈfrē-ziŋ

Definition of freezing

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

noun

Definition of freezing (Entry 2 of 2)

: the temperature at which water freezes temperatures dipping below freezing

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Other Words from freezing

Adjective

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

Examples of freezing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Despite the freezing temperatures, lots of fans had waited patiently for the royals to arrive, and they weren't disappointed. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Greeting Children in the Snow Will Melt Your Heart," 1 Feb. 2019 High-loft insulation keeps your child warm down to freezing temperatures. — Mandy Ferreira, Sunset, "9 Adorable Youth Sleeping Bags," 22 Jan. 2018 Thousands from across the country stood for hours on a square outside the St. Sophia Cathedral since the early morning in freezing temperatures. — James Marson, WSJ, "Ukraine Creates ‘a Church Without Putin’," 15 Dec. 2018 Note: The total time does not include freezing time. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Cranberry 75 Punch," 14 Nov. 2018 Without these gases, Earth would be freezing and uninhabitable for us. — Emily Hernandez, Teen Vogue, "What Is Climate Change? Everything You Need To Know About Global Warming," 17 July 2018 Like someone continually turning up the thermostat in a freezing apartment, Venezuelans were demanding greater democratic rights and stronger democratic institutions. — Christopher Claassen, Washington Post, "Support for democracy is declining — but not in the U.S. or other Western democracies," 5 July 2018 The sanctions had left Glencore in a hole: Mr Gertler had sued it in Congo, and had won a freezing order on its assets. — The Economist, "Glencore dodges American sanctions rather than spurn its friends," 21 June 2018 She was detained upon arriving in Arizona on May 14 after a two-month journey that involved going hungry and sleeping in the freezing Sonora desert of northern Mexico. — Marcos Aleman And Joshua Goodman, USA TODAY, "Families fleeing violence keep coming to US illegally despite Trump zero tolerance policy," 21 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Many open holes still perforate the ice, but the freezing and thawing has created a glassy surface that is easy for crews to plow, and equipment upgrades mean that the crews aren't facing constant breakdowns as in past winters. — Anna Rose Macarthur, Anchorage Daily News, "Tribes plow longest ice road ever on the Kuskokwim River," 16 Mar. 2018 Andrew Arnold, a meteorologist at the agency's White Lake Office, said metro Detroit will see less than a tenth of an inch over the whole weekend, as temperatures creep close to freezing or a little bit below. — Aleanna Siacon, Detroit Free Press, "Major ice storm now targeting 10 Michigan counties: What to know," 13 Apr. 2018 The weather that day was a steady cold rain with temperatures dropping rapidly to almost the freezing mark. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Black-headed grosbeak shows up for first time in Mecklenburg County | Charlotte Observer," 21 Mar. 2018 According to the clinic's website, its fees for egg freezing are $8,345 for the initial cycle and $6,995 for each subsequent round. — Jenna Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Fertility clinic informs hundreds of patients their eggs may have been damaged," 11 Mar. 2018 Temperatures will dip below freezing and visibility could be reduced But what is an advisory? — Holly V. Hays, Indianapolis Star, "The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory. What does that mean?," 11 Jan. 2018 As the holiday season rapidly approaches and temperatures begin to drop below freezing, Netflix marathons are going to be the only activity that seems appealing on the weekends. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everything Coming to Netflix this December," 21 Nov. 2018 By now there’s a good chance that our frosties have helped to train an incoming embryologist, or to test a new freezing technique. — Elissa Strauss, Glamour, "The Great Frozen Embryo Debate," 11 Oct. 2018 Coolant does raises the boiling point of the cooling system in summer, lowers the freezing point in winter, and protects the engine and cooling system from corrosion. — Zachary Palmer, Popular Mechanics, "Choosing the Right Coolant for Your Car," 4 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'freezing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.