froze

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Related to froze: frozen

freeze (on)to (something)

To adhere to something through the act of freezing. Is it true that my tongue could freeze to a telephone pole in this cold weather? Can we put both ice packs in this compartment, or will they freeze onto each other? My feet are so cold, it feels like they've frozen to the ground!

freeze (someone or something) in (someone's) memory

To maintain someone or something in one's memory. I could never forget what it felt like to hold my baby for the first time—I froze that moment in my memory. Of course I remember how I felt when I got that awful news—the searing pain froze it in my memory. I wish we could freeze the good times in our memories and delete the bad times.

freeze (someone's) blood

To affect in someone an intense feeling of fright, horror, or revulsion. The sight of my brother's murderer in court absolutely froze my blood. When we were camping last weekend, we heard a scream in the night that froze our blood. It never gets easier to lose a patient. That monotone sound on a heart monitor will always freeze your blood.

freeze (something) into (something)

1. To subject something to cold temperatures and cause it to change state. The frigid air froze the remaining snow into a sheet of ice. The temperature plummeted and froze the pond into an ice skating rink. Honey, you can't really freeze melted ice cream back into hard scoops.

2. To subject something to cold temperatures so that it assumes a particular shape. I entertained the kids with a special ice cube tray that freezes water into hearts and stars. If you use that opal wand, you can freeze your enemies into blocks of ice. We'll use silicone molds to freeze the mixture into fun shapes.

freeze out

1. To decrease the temperature of some place or allow it to become very cold and thus make its inhabitants uncomfortable enough to want to leave. A noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "out." I'm not trying to freeze you guys out, honestly—our heater is broken. They can try to freeze us out—I'll just keep my coat on! It's almost closing time, so we need to freeze out the drunks that are still lingering at the bar.

2. To exclude or ostracize someone by being cold or distant to them. A noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "out." I think they're trying to freeze me out of the literary magazine this year. No one will return my emails. Once the nasty rumor's origin was traced back to me, most of the girls in my class froze me out. Mom must be mad about something because she's been freezing me out all day—but she won't tell me what's wrong, naturally.

See also: freeze, out

freeze over

To become covered in ice, often of a body of water. I know the lake has frozen over, but I still don't think it's safe for you kids to go skating on it. Once the temperature plummeted, it wasn't long before the pond froze over. It's always kind of sad when the lake freezes over, but I know nature will have her rebirth in the springtime.

freeze to death

1. Literally, to die as a result of exposure to cold temperatures. Gus would have frozen to death had the rescue crew not found him when they did. By the time they found the man trapped by the avalanche, he had frozen to death. I know it's cold, but you're not gonna freeze to death. Stop being such a drama queen!

2. To cause someone to die as a result of exposure to cold temperatures. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "to." The blistering cold would have frozen Gus to death had the rescue crew not found him when they did. Get away from the lake! If you fall in there, the water will freeze you to death! It was absolutely terrifying to be trapped under the snow, knowing full well that it could freeze me to death.

3. To feel extremely cold. You'll freeze to death if you go outside without a coat! Is the bus ever coming? I'm freezing to death here! Recess isn't very fun in the wintertime—we just stand around outside and freeze to death!

4. To cause someone to feel extremely cold. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "to." We need to bundle up so the frigid wind doesn't freeze us to death. Hey, the bitter cold will freeze you to death if you go out without a coat! Ugh, I got snow in my boots, and my wet socks are going to freeze me to death.

freeze up

1. To become frozen and icy. I know the lake has frozen up, but I still don't think it's safe for you kids to go skating on it. This ice cream is too soft. Put it back in the freezer and give it more time to freeze up. It's always kind of sad when the lake freezes up, but I know nature will have her rebirth in the springtime.

2. To cause something to become frozen and icy. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "up." The falling temperatures will eventually freeze the pond up, just you wait and see. A: "If you use that opal wand, you can freeze the monsters up." B: "I know, they become blocks of ice!" I entertained the kids with a special ice cube tray that freezes up water into fun shapes.

3. To become tense, scared, and unable to do something. I love to sing, but I freeze up any time I get on stage—when I open my mouth, nothing comes out. Why are people so afraid of public speaking? I've never frozen up in the spotlight before—in fact, I love it! I need to have thorough notes with me, just in case I freeze up while giving a presentation.

4. To stop functioning or working. A: "Ugh, my computer's frozen up." B: "Well, unplug it and see if that helps." Maybe your phone hasn't frozen up. Give it a few minutes and see if that app starts loading. Did the program freeze up? OK, in that case, you'll have to force it to close.

5. To cause something to stop functioning or working. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "up." Ugh, that new program keeps freezing my computer up. What keeps freezing my phone up? Could it be the lack of memory? If you sent a massive job to the printer, that could be what froze it up.

until hell freezes over

1. Forever. "Till" can be used instead of "until." Financially, I'll never be able to retire—I'll be working till hell freezes over.

2. Used to indicate that something will never happen. "Till" can be used instead of "until." I refuse to name Bob the head of this company until hell freezes over!

freeze over

[for a body of water] to get cold and form a layer of ice on top. The pond froze over, so we went skating.

freeze someone or something to death

1. Lit. [for cold weather] to kill someone or something. I was afraid that the cold snap would freeze the dog to death.

2. Fig. to make someone or something very cold. This weather is going to freeze us all to death.

freeze someone out

1. Lit. to make it too cold for someone, usually by opening windows or through the use of air-conditioning. Turn up the heat unless you're trying to freeze us out. Are you trying to freeze out everybody? Close the door.

2. Fig. to lock someone out socially; to isolate someone from something or a group. We didn't want to freeze you out. You failed to pay your dues, however. They froze out the newcomers.

See also: freeze, out

freeze up

1. Lit. [for something] to freeze and stop functioning. The joint froze up and wouldn't move anymore.

2. Fig. [for someone] to become frightened and anxious, and be unable to move, speak, or continue with something. I froze up and couldn't say anything more.

freeze out

Shut out or exclude by unfriendly treatment; force to retire or withdraw from membership, a job, or the like. For example, They tried to freeze me out of the conversation, or After Bill was frozen out of the case, they hired a new lawyer. [Mid-1800s]

See also: freeze, out

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

until hell freezes over

1. If you say that something will not happen until hell freezes over, you mean that it will never happen. McLean pledged he would not sell the business to him until hell freezes over. Note: You can also say that something will happen when hell freezes over. `Tell them you'll get married when hell freezes over,' she says.

2. If someone will do something until hell freezes over, they will do it for a very long time or for ever. He says he'll sit there until hell freezes over before he'll pay them a single dollar. They can bargain until Hell freezes over, but they won't get anything.

until (or till) hell freezes over

for an extremely long time or forever. informal

freeze out

To shut out or exclude someone by cold or unfriendly treatment: The popular kids tried to freeze me out of the conversation. The group froze out the new employees at the meeting.

See also: freeze, out

freeze over

1. To freeze completely at the surface: Once the pond freezes over we can go skating.

2. To become covered with a layer of ice: The bridge has frozen over, so drive very carefully.

freeze up

1. To become completely frozen: The water in the ice trays hasn't frozen up yet.

2. To cause something to freeze completely: We froze up the water for ice cubes. Freeze the juice up and we'll have some frozen treats!

3. To become fixed in place or unable to move: The lock froze up due to rust. When I noticed that I was being watched, I froze up.

4. To cause something to become fixed in place or unable to move: The subzero temperatures froze up the water pipes. The rust froze the gears up.