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
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
This is one of the more weather-resistant jackets on this list, with a breathable, waterproof membrane that kept us warm on a frigid boat ride in Iceland.
—
Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
Areas east of the Mississippi River will have to deal with the storm on Sunday while the center of the country gets hit with a blast of frigid mid-winterlike air.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
Once, after a particularly frigid night, one of Hammeken’s dogs stood abruptly and left behind its tail, which had frozen into the ice.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Such events can shift weather patterns across the United States by destabilizing the polar vortex high above the North Pole, potentially allowing frigid Arctic air to surge into North America.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frigid
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025
Areas east of the Mississippi River will have to deal with the storm on Sunday while the center of the country gets hit with a blast of frigid mid-winterlike air.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
Once, after a particularly frigid night, one of Hammeken’s dogs stood abruptly and left behind its tail, which had frozen into the ice.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Such events can shift weather patterns across the United States by destabilizing the polar vortex high above the North Pole, potentially allowing frigid Arctic air to surge into North America.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frigid
Cite this Entry
“Frigid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frigid. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
frigid
adjective
frig·id
ˈfrij-əd 
1
: freezing cold
2
: not friendly
a frigid stare
frigidity
noun
frij-ˈid-ət-ē
frigidly
adverb
ˈfrij-əd-lē
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share