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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Freeze Meaning: Ice, Device Crash & Cold Examples (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：turn into ice (freeze)

freeze 🔊

/friːz/

When a liquid turns into a solid because it gets very cold, like water turning into ice.

Freeze icicles forming from water turning to ice in winter

turn into ice 🔊

➕

/tɜːrn ˈɪntuː aɪs/

When a liquid becomes solid because of extremely low temperature, like water turning into ice.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Proto-Germanic *freusaną; root relates to cold turning water to ice.

💡 Mnemonic

F for frost + 'reeze' like breeze = cold enough to make liquids stiff.

📖 Example

In winter, the lake will freeze over, and people can skate on it. 🔊 In winter, the lake will freeze over, and people can skate on it.

🔗 Collocations

freeze over – to become completely covered with ice

freeze solid – to become completely solid as a result of freezing

freeze into – to change into a solid state by freezing

🔄 Synonyms

solidify (v.) – to become solid or harden

harden (v.) – to become hard or firm

ice up (v.) – to become covered with ice

🚫 Antonyms

melt (v.) – to change from solid to liquid by heating

thaw (v.) – to become liquid or soft as a result of warming

liquefy (v.) – to become liquid

🌱 Derivatives

freezer (n.) – an appliance that freezes food

freezing (adj.) – very cold; below the freezing point

frozen (adj.) – turned into ice or solid by cold

📖 Cultural Story

In Old English 'frēosan' meant 'to become ice'. The computer sense emerged in the 1970s as a metaphor for sudden halt, like water freezing solid.

Meaning 2：stop responding (device) (freeze)

freeze 🔊

/friːz/

When a computer or video suddenly stops moving or working. Also, when a person stops moving suddenly because of fear or surprise.

Freeze laptop screen showing frozen game with loading icon

stop responding (device) 🔊

➕

/stɒp rɪˈspɒndɪŋ dɪˈvaɪs/

When a computer, phone, or video becomes unresponsive and stops operating, often requiring a restart.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My computer screen freezes whenever I try to open that large video file. 🔊 My computer screen freezes whenever I try to open that large video file.

🔗 Collocations

freeze up – to stop operating or moving, especially a computer

screen freeze – a condition where the display becomes static

system freeze – a complete failure of a computer system to respond

🔄 Synonyms

hang (v.) – to stop responding, especially a computer

crash (v.) – to suddenly stop working, often with a program failure

lock up (v.) – to become unresponsive and unable to process inputs

🚫 Antonyms

respond (v.) – to react or answer to commands

function (v.) – to work or operate normally

run (v.) – to operate smoothly and without interruption

Meaning 3：feel extremely cold (freeze)

freeze 🔊

/friːz/

To feel extremely cold, so cold that your body feels stiff and you can hardly move.

Freeze person shivering from extreme cold at bus stop

feel extremely cold 🔊

➕

/fiːl ɪkˈstriːmli koʊld/

To experience such intense cold that the body becomes stiff and moves with difficulty.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Waiting for the bus in the snow without gloves, I started to freeze. 🔊 Waiting for the bus in the snow without gloves, I started to freeze.

🔗 Collocations

freeze to death – to die from extreme cold (often used hyperbolically)

freeze in place – to become immobile due to cold or fear

freeze with cold – to suffer from very low temperatures

🔄 Synonyms

shiver (v.) – to shake slightly as a result of cold or fear

chill (v.) – to become cold, especially to an uncomfortable degree

numb (v.) – to lose feeling in a body part due to cold

🚫 Antonyms

warm up (v.) – to become warmer

swelter (v.) – to be uncomfortably hot

melt (v.) – to become liquid from heat (metaphorically for warming)

🌱 Derivatives

freezing (adj.) – extremely cold