to freeze

Examples

• All

• Rod kept his face frozen and his hands at his sides.

  Fiction book (1998)

• Then tears trickled from his eyes, frozen grief beginning to melt like winter's ice touched by the spring.

  Fiction book (2000)

• For a moment, I am frozen like a diver at the edge of the board.

  Fiction book (1994)

• And I'd stare at her, haunted, frozen.

  Girl Play (2004)

• We are by now sitting rigid in our chairs, frozen, expectant, wondering if he will do it.

  Fiction book (1995)

• She's become a statue, her face frozen, the most humorless, most expressionless person on the planet.

  Fiction book (2002)

• The man is now speechless, frozen, terrified, as Catch's eyes hold him with a fierceness and a sadness.

  Fiction book (2001)

• She tends to freeze in uncomfortable situations, making it hard for her to join the conversation.

• The child's face began to freeze in fear when he noticed the approaching dog.

Synonyms

S

to stop cold

vsto freeze

• Informal

3 5.2

Freeze and stay completely still because of surprise or fear

change into a cold formal manner rather than end movement or activity

F

to freeze like a deer in the headlights

vsto freeze

• Informal

7.7

Suddenly stop moving because you feel afraid or surprised

become emotionally cold and formal rather than physically immobile

Idioms

F

to freeze your tush

• Informal

9.9

To make your bottom very cold by sitting or staying outside in cold weather

F

freeze a brass monkey

• Archaic

9.9

Be very cold, like in winter

F

to freeze like a deer in the headlights

• Informal

7.7

Suddenly stop moving because you feel afraid or surprised

Phrasal Verbs

F

to freeze out

• Informal

3 6.7

To keep someone out of a group by being unfriendly or unfair

F

to freeze off

• Informal

1 8.5

Treat someone in a cold way and ignore them to show dislike

Q

to quick-freeze

• Specialized

1 3.8

To make food very cold quickly to keep its taste and juices

D

to deep-freeze

3.8

To put food into a very cold freezer so it stays good for a long time

F

to freeze that moment

6.0

Keep a memory exactly as it happened so you can remember it forever

Compounds

F

freeze-dried

• Specialized

6 4.1

Food with most water removed by freezing and drying so it keeps for a long time

H

hiring freeze

5 4.4

A rule that stops a company or government office from taking on new workers to save money

D

deep freeze

• UK

2 4.3

A period of very cold weather that lasts several days

D

deep freeze

2 6.0

A time when work or activity stops for a long time

D

deep-freeze

1 3.5

A very cold freezer for keeping food for a long time

W

wage freeze

1 4.1

A policy that stops pay from increasing for a set time

P

price freeze

• Specialized

1 4.1

An action that keeps prices at their current level for a set time to stop big price rises

F

freeze-dryer

• Specialized

6.2

A machine that keeps food or lab samples from spoiling by freezing and removing their water

F

freeze-drying

• Specialized

4.1

A way to dry food or medicine by freezing it and removing the ice so it keeps its shape

Q

quick-freeze

• Specialized

3.8

A machine or process that makes food very cold quickly to keep its taste and vitamins

P

pre-freeze

5.7

A short time of making something very cold before long storage

Surface Forms

Etymology