Word: Freeze

Pronunciation

/friːz/

Definitions

• Verb (v): To change from a liquid or a gas to a solid by reducing the temperature below its freezing point. For example: “The water in the pond froze overnight.”
  • Also used metaphorically to indicate stopping or halting something suddenly and completely: “Time seemed to freeze when they heard the news.”
• Noun (n): The state of being frozen or the process of becoming frozen. For example: “There was a severe freeze last night that damaged many crops.”
  • As a colloquial term: “Let’s have a freeze on hiring new employees until further notice.”

Phrases

• “To put something on ice” means to postpone or delay something indefinitely, often using ‘freeze’ metaphorically.
• “Freeze frame” refers to a still image taken from a video or film, where all motion appears frozen.
• “To freeze up” can mean to become immobilized with fear or panic, or for machinery to stop functioning due to extreme cold or malfunction.

Example Sentences

• Verb: “I accidentally left the milk out, and it froze solid.”
• Noun: “The sudden freeze caught farmers unprepared, causing significant losses.”
• Metaphorical usage: “When he saw the police car behind him, his heart froze in terror.”

Synonyms

• Solidify
• Chill
• Cool down
• Congeal
• Icify
• Petrify (in a figurative sense)
• Halt (for the metaphorical sense)