frozen
B1neutral
Definition
Meaning
Made into or covered with ice; turned from a liquid to a solid state by extreme cold.
Preserved by freezing; made completely still or fixed; extremely cold; emotionally unresponsive or lacking warmth; (of assets) made temporarily unavailable.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily the past participle of 'freeze,' also functions as an adjective. Describes both a physical state (ice) and a metaphorical state (immobility, emotional coldness).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. In UK English, 'frozen' is standard for food items ('frozen peas'); identical in US. No significant spelling or usage variation.
Connotations
Similar connotations in both varieties: coldness, preservation, inactivity. Slight cultural difference in frequency due to 'Frozen' (Disney film) being a global phenomenon.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both dialects. Slightly higher collocation frequency with 'food' in general US English, and with 'assets' in financial contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be/get frozen + ADV/ADJ (The pipes are frozen solid)be/get frozen + PREP (The lake was frozen over)frozen + N (frozen assets)keep/hold sth frozenVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “frozen in time”
- “frozen with fear/terror/horror”
- “frozen out (of a group/situation)”
- “freeze assets (to frozen assets)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to assets or accounts legally prohibited from being accessed or sold ('The company's assets were frozen by the court').
Academic
Used in scientific contexts (physics, climatology) to describe the state change of matter; in humanities, describes stasis or preserved historical states.
Everyday
Most common for weather conditions, food preservation, and describing extreme cold or a lack of movement ('My hands are frozen', 'She stood frozen on the spot').
Technical
In computing: a system state where processes stop responding; in medicine: tissue preservation (cryogenics) or a 'frozen section' in pathology.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pond had frozen overnight.
- The government froze all their bank accounts.
- We've frozen the leftovers for another day.
American English
- The pipes froze during the cold snap.
- Their assets were frozen by the order.
- We froze the extra chili.
adverb
British English
- The river was frozen solid.
- She stood frozen still, listening.
- The meat must be kept frozen.
American English
- The lake was frozen over.
- He stopped frozen in his tracks.
- Keep the juice concentrate frozen.
adjective
British English
- Be careful on the frozen pavement.
- She gave him a frozen look.
- I prefer frozen peas to canned ones.
American English
- Drive slowly on the frozen road.
- His frozen expression revealed nothing.
- We need more frozen pizza.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The ice cream is frozen.
- It is very cold and the lake is frozen.
- I like frozen yogurt.
- We keep frozen vegetables in the freezer.
- She was frozen with fear when she saw the spider.
- The car wouldn't start because the engine was frozen.
- Diplomatic relations between the two countries remain frozen.
- The climber's fingers were nearly frozen after the long ascent.
- The artist captures a moment frozen in time.
- The court issued an order to have the company's assets frozen pending investigation.
- Their shared grief created a frozen silence in the room.
- The permafrost is permanently frozen ground found in Arctic regions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a ZONE of extreme cold. FRO-ZEN: the 'O' looks like an ice cube, and the 'Z' looks like a shiver.
Conceptual Metaphor
INACTION IS BEING FROZEN (e.g., 'The project is frozen'); LACK OF EMOTION IS COLDNESS (e.g., 'a frozen heart'); PRESERVATION IS FREEZING (e.g., 'frozen in memory').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'мороженое' (ice cream). 'Frozen' is an adjective/participle, not a noun.
- Do not use 'frozen' for a temporary chill; Russian 'замерзший' is more specific to living beings feeling cold, while 'frozen' applies more broadly to objects and states.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'My computer is freezed.' Correct: 'My computer is frozen.'
- Incorrect: 'I frozen the soup.' Correct: 'I froze the soup.' or 'The soup is frozen.'
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'frozen' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily the past participle of the verb 'to freeze,' but it is very commonly used as an adjective (a frozen lake, frozen food).
'Freezing' is the present participle and often describes an ongoing action or is used as an adjective meaning 'extremely cold.' 'Frozen' describes the completed state of having been turned to ice or fixed in place. 'I am freezing' (I feel very cold). 'The water is frozen' (it has turned to ice).
Yes, both physically ('I'm frozen!' meaning very cold) and metaphorically ('frozen with fear' meaning unable to move).
It is grammatically possible but often stylistically weak. 'Completely frozen,' 'totally frozen,' or 'frozen solid' are more natural intensifiers, as 'frozen' is often seen as a binary state (either frozen or not).
Collections
Part of a collection
Food and Cooking
A2 · 50 words · Cooking methods, kitchen tools and recipes.