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

a

: abnormally averse to sexual intercourse

—used especially of women

b

of a female : unable to achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse

frigidly adverb

frigidness noun

Synonyms

• 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

This lunar feature is an enormous basaltic plain, which formed billions of years ago when lava flows flooded gigantic impact basins, before hardening in the frigid space environment. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 July 2025

People were even sharing frigid places to escape the heat. —Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2025

When a 12-year-old girl on an inflatable tube started drifting far out into a frigid Utah reservoir, one of her family members grabbed a paddleboard and went out to help her. —Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025

This could come in handy during those old colonial winters, as frigid climates can zap battery performance. —New Atlas, 9 July 2025

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