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

At long last, the frigid temperatures much of the country has experienced this winter are giving way to warmer weather and longer, sunnier days. —Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026

In the East, however, while many locations ranked this winter among their top 25 coldest, no station with a long period of weather records had its most frigid. —Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026

Under the dry and frigid conditions expected on a Snowball Earth, large areas of ice may have gradually sublimated. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Mar. 2026

Construction companies cut 11,000 jobs last month, which likely reflects frigid weather. —Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 6 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