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

The tinga mixture can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. —Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026

Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm enough to handle. —Laura McLively, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026

Since refrigerating people wasn’t a viable treatment, Welsh and the CF Foundation needed chemists to create a small molecule that could replicate what happened in the cold. —Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026

Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 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