freezing rain

noun

: rain that freezes upon contact with a surface (such as the ground)

But to Healy's surprise, a glaze of freezing rain began to appear on the windshield.

—Jon Vara

This also explains why the stuff we call freezing rain … falls as a liquid but then turns to a sheet of ice when it strikes the pavement or a tree branch.

—Frederick K. Lutgens et al.

compare hail entry 1, sleet entry 1, snow entry 1

Examples of freezing rain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Northwest Lower Peninsula counties are under a winter weather advisory with some areas getting up to 11 inches of accumulation, and possibly freezing rain. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025

Snow, sleet and rain or freezing rain are all possible as this system moves through. —Cutter Martin, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

These advisories warn of lighter but still impactful snow accumulations—typically ranging from 1 to 6 inches—along with freezing rain and gusty winds. —Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

The chances of a tenth of an inch of accumulation is between 10 and 20%, the weather service said, with the chance of any accumulating freezing rain at less than 10%. —Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for freezing rain

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• gethsemane
• halothane
• hurricane

Kids Definition

freezing rain

noun

: rain that freezes upon contact with a surface (as the ground)