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

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Even worse, it wasn’t even frozen, since the plane was close to the ground and not in freezing temperatures. Julia Buckley, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 But the man got stuck on the trail about 2 p.m. with a low cellphone battery amid freezing temperatures, deputies said. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Frost is predicted when air temperatures reach 32 degrees, or the freezing mark. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 The Weather Service issued a Gale Warning from 6:00 am Friday until 6:00 am Sunday due to intense waves, heavy freezing sprays of water and reduced visibility with the capacity to damage and capsize boats. Tamia Fowlkes, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 This is the confession Clark delivers — under considerable duress — to Navarro and Danvers on a freezing, stormy New Year’s Eve at the TSALAL station. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024 That will disrupt the climate globally with freezing temperatures in Europe, shifting Asian monsoon rainfall patterns, and reversing Amazon rainy and dry seasons with powerful storms, heavy rainfall and extreme heat. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Additionally, the near freezing temperatures could add a light glazing of ice on untreated roads during the morning commute. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The positive news for George and others who want to avoid spending a mid-February weekend in freezing temperatures is the next two NBA All-Star Weekends will be held in California. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
With low temperatures expected to dip just below freezing but highs in the 40s, next Wednesday might see a rain-snow mix, Anderson said. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 Temperatures could briefly touch freezing in the coldest spots, but many will stay above, with a range of about 32 to 38 degrees for lows near sunrise. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024 As temperatures finally warm — with highs hovering near freezing and slightly above it — forecasters warn to expect a few snowflakes Monday morning and then freezing rain and sleet, starting in the evening and into the next morning. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 Temperatures right around or above freezing will cut down on accumulation. Journal Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2024 If temperatures at the surface are above freezing, the storm may only bring rain, Webb said. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Jan. 2024 For many of these women, egg freezing is becoming an attractive option. Michelle Lee, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 Currently, the government will pay for the initial freezing of reproductive cells. Svitlana Vaslova, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 The instructions the brain is trying to send to the body struggle to get through, resulting in the characteristic tremors, rigidity, and freezing of gait seen in sufferers. Amit Katwala, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freezing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near freezing

Cite this Entry

“Freezing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freezing. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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