frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfri-jəd 

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

Synonyms of frigid

• icy
• chilly
• cold
• freezing
• chill
• cool

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

Kadir Nelson’s painting for the cover of the March 9, 2026, issue was inspired by the frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall that have swept across much of the country recently. —Françoise Mouly, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

After a man fell through the ice into the frigid water of a Colorado lake, a good Samaritan nearby ran to his rescue. —Christa Swanson, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026

The remainder of the novel transforms into a kind of horror film of its own as Maya contemplates a prison sentence in a Russian penal colony where conditions are unsanitary, frigid, and inhumane. —Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026

Before sunrise, on a frigid, frozen lake south of Madison, Wisconsin, Zach Feiner is staring at a buzzing screen. —Berly McCoy, NPR, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin frigidus, from frigēre to be cold; akin to Latin frigus frost, cold, Greek rhigos

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing frigid

• frigid zone

Rhymes for frigid

• rigid

Kids Definition

frigid

adjective

frig·​id ˈfrij-əd 

1

: freezing cold

2

: not friendly

a frigid stare

frigidity

frij-ˈid-ət-ē

noun

frigidly

ˈfrij-əd-lē

adverb

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