icier; iciest
1
a
: covered with, abounding in, or consisting of ice
b
: intensely cold
2
: characterized by coldness : frigid
an icy stare
also : steely
icy nerves
icily adverb
iciness noun

Examples of icy in a Sentence

an icy drink that was especially refreshing on that hot afternoon she wondered why the salesclerk at the boutique had given her an icy glare
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Scientists believe Enceladus – Saturn’s sixth-largest moon – contains a saltwater ocean beneath its icy crust. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025 OxyChem makes things like chlorine for water treatment, vinyl chloride for plastics and calcium chloride that’s used to treat icy roads along with an assortment of other chemicals. Dave Smith, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Plus, the icy pastel hues are reminiscent of ballerinas prancing in The Nutcracker. Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2025 In 2005, shortly after arriving in orbit around the ringed planet, the joint NASA–European Space Agency (ESA) Cassini mission found clinching evidence that Enceladus harbored a liquid-water ocean beneath its bright-white icy crust—plumes of seawater spraying up from the moon’s south pole. Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for icy

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of icy was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Icy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/icy. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

icy

adjective
icier; iciest
1
a
: covered with, full of, or consisting of ice
b
: very cold
icy weather
2
icily adverb
iciness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on icy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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