refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfri-jə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

transitive verb

: to make or keep cold or cool

specifically : to freeze or chill for preservation

foods that should be refrigerated

refrigeration

ri-ˌfri-jə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of refrigerate

• freeze
• chill
• cool

Examples of refrigerate in a Sentence

Refrigerate the mixture for an hour before serving.

refrigerate the cake after you frost it so that the frosting doesn't melt

Recent Examples on the Web

If baking less often, cover the jar of starter loosely and refrigerate 1 hour after feeding. — Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2026

Cut watermelon must be refrigerated and covered to stay fresh longer, especially when using airtight containers or wraps. — Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026

Sunny Broccoli Salad A Cleveland reader makes this classic potluck salad the day ahead and refrigerates the dressing and vegetables separately. — Jasmine Thompson, Midwest Living, 20 Aug. 2026

Trash pickup this week is following the normal schedule, with the exception that each day is a free amnesty day for bulk pickup to help out people who have had to throw out food that couldn’t be kept refrigerated or frozen. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin refrigeratus, past participle of refrigerare, from re- + frigerare to cool, from frigor-, frigus cold — more at frigid

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for refrigerate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

refrigerate

verb

re·​frig·​er·​ate ri-ˈfrij-ə-ˌrāt 

refrigerated; refrigerating

: to make or keep cold or cool

especially : to freeze or chill food to preserve it

refrigeration

-ˌfrij-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun