defrost
B1Neutral (common in everyday, technical, and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
to cause something frozen to become unfrozen, usually by removing it from a freezer or applying gentle heat.
to remove frost or ice from a surface (e.g., a windshield); to become less formal or more relaxed in a social situation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A process verb indicating a change of state from frozen to thawed. The object can be the frozen item itself (defrost the chicken) or the container (defrost the freezer). The intransitive use (the chicken is defrosting) is also common.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In American English, 'thaw' is often used interchangeably for food. In British English, 'defrost' is more consistently used for frozen appliances and food removal from freezers. The British may also use 'de-ice' more specifically for windshields/windscreens.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties, though 'defrost' can sound slightly more technical/mechanical than 'thaw'.
Frequency
High frequency in both, but 'defrost' is slightly more common in UK English across all contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
transitive: DEFROST + NP (defrost the chicken)intransitive: NP + DEFROST (the chicken is defrosting)causative/inchoative alternation: I defrosted the turkey / The turkey defrosted.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “defrost relations (to make a tense situation more friendly)”
- “defrost the atmosphere (to make a socially cold situation warmer)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except metaphorically (e.g., 'defrosting trade relations').
Academic
Used in technical writing (engineering, food science).
Everyday
Very high frequency (cooking, appliance maintenance, car care).
Technical
Specific to refrigeration, automotive, and appliance manuals.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Remember to defrost the freezer every few months.
- Leave the prawns to defrost in the fridge overnight.
- I had to defrost the windscreen before I could drive.
American English
- You should defrost the turkey in the refrigerator.
- My car has a button to defrost the rear window.
- Can the microwave defrost this quickly?
adjective
British English
- The defrost cycle on the fridge is quite loud.
- Use the defrost setting for quicker results.
American English
- Hit the defrost button on the dashboard.
- This model has an auto-defrost feature.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I will defrost some bread for breakfast.
- The ice cream is defrosting. Eat it quickly!
- You must defrost the chicken completely before cooking.
- How long does it take to defrost a freezer?
- The automatic defrost function prevents ice build-up in the refrigerator.
- Their chilly relationship finally began to defrost after the sincere apology.
- The new trade agreement helped to defrost the diplomatic stalemate between the nations.
- Engineers improved the heat pump's defrosting algorithm for efficiency.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DE-FROST: Think of DE-activating the FROST, removing the frozen state.
Conceptual Metaphor
WARMTH IS ACTIVITY / COLD IS INACTIVITY (to defrost is to make active/functional again).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from 'размораживать' in all contexts; for social situations, 'warm up' or 'relax' is better than 'defrost'.
- Do not confuse with 'разморозить' meaning 'to unfreeze funds' – English uses 'unfreeze assets'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'defrost' for snow removal (use 'clear snow' or 'shovel').
- Saying 'I need to defrost the ice' (redundant; say 'I need to defrost the windshield' or 'remove the ice').
- Misspelling as 'deffrost' or 'de-frost' (standard spelling is 'defrost').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'defrost' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Defrost' often implies a deliberate action using an appliance or method (defrost the freezer, defrost in the microwave). 'Thaw' is more general and can describe a natural process (the lake thawed in spring). For food, they are often interchangeable, though 'defrost' can sound more technical.
Not literally. It is only used metaphorically to describe a person becoming less formal, cold, or reserved (e.g., 'He defrosted after a few jokes').
Yes, it is regular: defrost, defrosted, defrosted.
The direct opposite action is 'freeze'. For a state, 'frozen' is the opposite of 'defrosted'.
Explore