freeze
gb/fɹˈiz/ us/fɹˈiz/
A2
English
~ 9500
fázik, megfagy, befagy, megfagyaszt, lefagyaszt, megdermed, ne mozdulj, lefagy, befagyaszt, felfüggeszt, zárol, befagyasztás, stop, fagy, lefagyás
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to freeze
Close the window, I'm freezing in here.
Csukd be az ablakot, nagyon fázom itt bent.
We were freezing on the platform while we waited for the late train.
Nagyon fáztunk a peronon, amíg a késve érkező vonatra vártunk.
Take a jacket; you’ll be freezing if you stay out that long.
My hands are freezing after walking without gloves.
She was freezing in her thin dress at the outdoor party.
Learner examples
Please turn on the heat, I am freezing.
Kérlek, kapcsold be a fűtést, nagyon fázom.
He forgot his coat and was freezing at the bus stop.
Elfelejtette a kabátját, és nagyon fázott a buszmegállóban.
My feet are freezing on this cold floor.
We were freezing in the park last night.
I am freezing; I need a warm sweater.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I have freezing"* instead of *"I'm freezing" or "I am freezing". They also confuse *"I'm freezing"* (I feel very cold) with *"It's freezing"* (the weather or temperature is very cold).
Meaning
feel extremely cold
Collocations
I'm freezing
|absolutely freezing
|freezing cold
|freeze to death
Synonyms
shiver (Describes the physical shaking from cold, not just the strong feeling of cold.)
|
be chilled (Slightly weaker and more formal; does not always suggest extreme cold.)
Antonyms
burn up (Informal phrase meaning to feel extremely hot, often from fever or heat.)
|
overheat (Focuses on becoming too hot, often because of weather, exercise, or machines.)
Themes
daily life
|weather
|health
|body
Definition
To feel very, very cold, so that it is not comfortable.
To feel extremely cold, often so cold that it is uncomfortable or painful.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to freeze [liquid/thing]
Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius.
A víz nulla Celsius-fokon megfagy.
The lake completely froze during the long cold spell.
A tó teljesen befagyott a hosszú hideg időszak alatt.
If you don't insulate the house properly, the pipes can freeze in winter.
The ground froze hard overnight, so we had to delay the construction work.
Rain on the road can freeze and turn into dangerous black ice.
Learner examples
Water can freeze in very cold weather.
A víz nagyon hideg időben meg tud fagyni.
In winter, the river may freeze.
Télen a folyó befagyhat.
The ground froze after many cold nights.
The pipes might freeze if it gets too cold.
The wet street froze and became ice.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the water became ice"* instead of *"the water froze"*. *"Freeze"* is the natural verb in this physical process. Also, *"freeze"* is irregular: *freeze – froze – frozen*, not *freezed*.
Meaning
liquid turn to solid ice
Collocations
water freezes
|pipes freeze
|freeze solid
|the lake froze
|freeze into ice
Synonyms
solidify (More formal and technical; used in scientific or technical contexts, not everyday speech.)
|
ice over (Specifically describes a surface becoming covered with ice.)
Antonyms
melt (Describes a solid becoming liquid, the direct opposite physical process of freezing.)
|
thaw (Emphasizes becoming unfrozen after being frozen, especially with ice, food, or ground.)
Themes
science
|weather
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
For a liquid like water to become solid because it is very cold, or to make it become solid.
To become solid because of very low temperature, or to make a liquid become solid by making it very cold.
VERB
B1
3
lefagyaszt
B1
Usage pattern:
to freeze [food]
You can freeze the soup and eat it next week.
Lefagyaszthatod a levest, és megeheted a jövő héten.
I usually freeze leftover bread so it doesn’t go stale.
A megmaradt kenyeret általában lefagyasztom, hogy ne száradjon ki.
These berries freeze well if you spread them out on a tray first.
We froze the extra meals in small containers for busy days.
Can you freeze cheese, or will the texture change too much?
Learner examples
I will freeze the meat for next week.
Lefagyasztom a húst a jövő hétre.
She froze the cake after the party.
A buli után lefagyasztotta a tortát.
We freeze our food so it does not go bad.
You can freeze this soup and eat it later.
He froze the fish as soon as he got home.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"put in the fridge"* when they mean *"freeze"*. The fridge keeps food cold, but the freezer makes food frozen and hard. Also, they may say *"unfreeze the chicken"*; *"defrost"* or *"thaw"* are more natural for food.
Meaning
preserve food by freezing it
Collocations
freeze leftovers
|freeze meat
|freeze vegetables
|ready to freeze
|freeze for later
Synonyms
deep-freeze (Emphasizes very low temperatures or using a special freezer; a bit more technical or branded-sounding.)
|
chill (Means to cool but not necessarily to the point of freezing solid.)
Antonyms
defrost (Common kitchen term meaning to remove ice and return frozen food to a softer state.)
|
thaw (General term for letting frozen food or other things become unfrozen.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
To keep food very cold so it becomes hard, so that you can keep it for a long time.
To preserve food by keeping it at a temperature below freezing so that it becomes hard and can be stored for a long time.
VERB
B1
4
megdermed
B2
ne mozdulj
A1
Usage pattern:
to freeze / to freeze [someone]
The guard shouted "Freeze!" and everyone stopped moving.
Az őr azt kiáltotta: „Ne mozduljon senki!”, és mindenki megállt.
She froze when she heard her name called over the loudspeaker.
Megdermedt, amikor meghallotta, hogy bemondják a nevét a hangosbemondóban.
He froze in fear as the dog ran toward him.
The children froze on the spot when the teacher clapped her hands.
I froze halfway through my speech and forgot my lines.
Learner examples
The police officer said, "Freeze!"
A rendőr azt mondta: „Ne mozdulj!”
He froze when he saw the big dog.
Megdermedt, amikor meglátta a nagy kutyát.
She froze on the stage and could not speak.
The child froze when he heard a loud noise.
We froze for a moment, then started to run.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with feeling cold. In *"He froze when he saw the snake"*, it means he stopped moving, not that he became cold. Also, *"Freeze!"* is a fixed command; learners sometimes say *"Stop move!"* instead.
Meaning
suddenly stop and stay still
Collocations
Everyone, freeze!
|freeze in fear
|freeze on the spot
|freeze with shock
|body froze
Synonyms
stop dead (Emphasizes a very sudden stop; slightly more dramatic and informal.)
|
stand still (Focuses on being motionless, but not always on the suddenness or emotional cause.)
Antonyms
move (General opposite, meaning to change position instead of remaining still.)
|
spring into action (Emphasizes suddenly starting to move or act, in contrast to freezing.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|body
Definition
To stop your body quickly and not move at all, often because you are afraid or someone tells you to stop.
To suddenly stop moving and remain completely still, often because of fear, surprise, or a command.
VERB
B1
5
lefagy
B1
Usage pattern:
to freeze / to freeze [screen/program]
My laptop froze and I had to restart it.
Lefagyott a laptopom, és újra kellett indítanom.
The app keeps freezing every time I try to open a photo.
Az alkalmazás folyton lefagy, valahányszor megpróbálok megnyitni egy fotót.
The video froze for a few seconds and then started playing again.
If the screen freezes, press this button to reset the device.
Her presentation froze right in the middle of the meeting.
Learner examples
My phone froze, so I turned it off and on.
Lefagyott a telefonom, ezért ki- és bekapcsoltam.
The game froze and I lost my progress.
Lefagyott a játék, és elveszett, amit addig elértem.
His computer froze during the online class.
The video froze, but the sound was still playing.
If your screen freezes, call the IT help desk.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"My computer stopped"* or *"My computer died"* when they mean it became unresponsive. *"Freeze"* is the common word when the screen or app does not move or react.
Meaning
computer or device stops responding
Collocations
the computer froze
|screen freezes
|program keeps freezing
|freeze and crash
|freeze up
Synonyms
hang (Technical slang; often used by IT people to mean a system stops responding.)
|
lock up (Informal; used when a device becomes completely unresponsive.)
Antonyms
respond (General opposite, meaning the system reacts normally to input.)
|
run smoothly (Emphasizes that the software continues to operate without problems.)
Themes
technology
|daily life
Definition
When a computer or app stops working and does not answer when you touch keys, click, or tap.
For a computer, program, or screen to stop responding to input and become stuck.
VERB
B2
6
befagyaszt
B2
felfüggeszt
B2
Usage pattern:
to freeze [activity/process]
The company decided to freeze hiring until profits improve.
A vállalat úgy döntött, hogy a nyereség javulásáig befagyasztja a munkaerő-felvételt.
Talks were frozen after the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
A tárgyalásokat befagyasztották, miután a két fél nem tudott megállapodni.
Due to budget cuts, the city has frozen all new building projects.
They froze development on the app while they reviewed the design.
The government froze spending on non-essential programs.
Learner examples
The manager froze hiring because sales were low.
A vezető befagyasztotta a munkaerő-felvételt, mert gyengék voltak az eladások.
They froze the project to save money.
Hogy pénzt takarítsanak meg, befagyasztották a projektet.
Negotiations were frozen for several months.
The company froze pay rises this year.
The school froze new programs until next year.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the physical cold meaning and ask *"Is the project cold?"*. Here, *"freeze"* is a business or official way to say *"stop for now"*.
Meaning
officially stop an activity
Collocations
freeze hiring
|freeze spending
|freeze the project
|freeze development
|freeze negotiations
Synonyms
suspend (More formal and common in official or legal language.)
|
halt (Stronger and more dramatic; can suggest a complete stop, not just a pause.)
Antonyms
resume (Means to start again after a pause, the typical opposite after a freeze ends.)
|
proceed (Means to continue going forward instead of being stopped.)
Themes
business
|politics
|work
Definition
To decide that something, like hiring or a project, must stop and not continue for some time.
To officially or deliberately stop an activity, plan, or process from continuing, usually for a period of time.
VERB
B2
7
zárol
B2
befagyaszt
B2
Usage pattern:
to freeze [account/assets/funds]
The bank froze his account after detecting unusual activity.
A bank zárolta a számláját, miután szokatlan számlamozgást észlelt.
Authorities froze the company’s assets during the investigation.
A hatóságok a nyomozás idejére befagyasztották a cég vagyonát.
Her credit card was frozen after several failed login attempts.
They froze all funds linked to the suspected fraud.
The court ordered the government to unfreeze the charity’s bank accounts.
Learner examples
The bank froze my card after I lost it.
A bank zárolta a kártyámat, miután elvesztettem.
The government froze the man's money.
A kormány befagyasztotta a férfi pénzét.
Police froze the company’s accounts.
Her account was frozen because she did not pay the fee.
They will unfreeze the funds next week.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"close the account"* when they mean *"freeze the account"*. A closed account is ended; a frozen account still exists but cannot be used.
Meaning
block use of money or assets
Collocations
freeze a bank account
|freeze assets
|freeze funds
|accounts were frozen
|authorities froze
Synonyms
block (General word; does not always imply an official or legal action.)
|
seize (Implies taking control or ownership, often stronger than simply freezing use.)
Antonyms
unfreeze (Specific opposite; to allow assets to be used again after being frozen.)
|
release (Common in finance or law when previously blocked funds are made available.)
Themes
finance
|law
|business
Definition
To stop someone from using their money or property, usually by a bank or government.
To officially block access to money or property so that it cannot be moved, spent, or used.
NOUN
B2
8
befagyasztás
B2
stop
B2
The company announced a hiring freeze for the rest of the year.
A vállalat létszámstopot hirdetett az év hátralévő részére.
The government introduced a temporary price freeze on basic food items.
A kormány ideiglenes árstopot vezetett be az alapvető élelmiszerekre.
Teachers are angry about the wage freeze during high inflation.
After two years of a salary freeze, staff finally received a raise.
They voted to lift the freeze on new building projects.
Learner examples
The school has a hiring freeze, so they cannot add new teachers.
Az iskolában létszámstop van, ezért nem tudnak új tanárokat felvenni.
There is a wage freeze, so pay will not go up this year.
Bérbefagyasztás van, ezért idén nem emelkednek a fizetések.
The government put a price freeze on gas.
The company decided on a freeze for new projects.
Next year they may end the freeze on spending.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think *"freeze"* here means something is very cold. In *"a wage freeze"*, it means wages stay the same and do not go up, not that they are cold.
Meaning
official stop on changes or activity
Collocations
wage freeze
|price freeze
|hiring freeze
|impose a freeze
|lift the freeze
Synonyms
moratorium (More formal and legal; not limited to money or hiring.)
|
halt (General term for a stop; does not always suggest an official policy.)
Antonyms
increase (Opposite in the context of wages or prices, which rise instead of being frozen.)
|
expansion (Opposite when a hiring freeze ends and growth or adding staff begins again.)
Themes
business
|economics
|politics
|work
Definition
A time when a company or government says that something, like pay, prices, or hiring, must not change or increase.
A period during which increases or certain activities, especially in prices, wages, or hiring, are officially stopped.
NOUN
B2
9
fagy
A2
A late spring freeze damaged the apple blossoms.
Egy kései tavaszi fagy károsította az almavirágokat.
Farmers are worried about a hard freeze this weekend.
A gazdák aggódnak a hétvégi kemény fagy miatt.
We had the first freeze of the season last night.
The forecast warns of an overnight freeze and icy roads.
Cover your plants before the freeze arrives.
Learner examples
A strong freeze killed many flowers.
Az erős fagy sok virágot elpusztított.
There was a freeze last night, and the roads are icy.
Éjjel fagy volt, és jegesek az utak.
The first freeze of the year came in October.
The trees were hurt by a late freeze.
Farmers listen for freeze warnings on the radio.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only *"cold"* when they need this more specific word. A *"freeze"* means the temperature is at or below 0°C and things can freeze, not just that it feels cold.
Meaning
period of very cold, freezing weather
Collocations
a hard freeze
|a late freeze
|a sudden freeze
|overnight freeze
|freeze warning
Synonyms
cold snap (Informal term for a short period of cold weather; does not always mean at or below freezing.)
|
frost (Refers more to ice crystals on surfaces; can also name a cold period but is slightly different in focus.)
Antonyms
thaw (Describes the period when temperatures rise above freezing and ice begins to melt.)
|
heatwave (A period of unusually hot weather, the opposite extreme from a freeze.)
Themes
weather
|environment
|nature
Definition
A time when the weather is very cold and at or below 0°C, often causing ice and problems outside.
A period of weather when the air temperature is at or below the freezing point, often causing damage to plants or pipes.
NOUN
B2
10
lefagyás
B1
The update fixed most of the random freezes people were complaining about.
A frissítés kijavította a legtöbb véletlenszerű lefagyást, amelyre sokan panaszkodtak.
After a brief freeze, the system returned to normal.
Egy rövid lefagyás után a rendszer visszatért a normál működéshez.
A screen freeze during the video call forced everyone to reconnect.
We’re investigating what caused the server freeze yesterday.
This program is known for occasional freezes on older machines.
Learner examples
The game had a freeze and then closed.
A játék lefagyott, majd bezárult.
I had a screen freeze during the test.
A teszt közben lefagyott a képernyőm.
A short freeze stopped the video for a moment.
They are trying to fix the system freeze.
The update should reduce freezes on this phone.
Common mistake:
Learners often use the verb but not the noun, saying *"my computer had freezing"*. The natural noun is *"a freeze"*, as in *"I had a freeze"* or *"there was a freeze"*.
Meaning
situation where device stops responding
Collocations
a system freeze
|a screen freeze
|sudden freeze
|random freezes
|recover from a freeze
Synonyms
lockup (Informal technical term; often used by IT staff to describe a serious freeze.)
|
crash (Means the program or system stops working completely, often stronger than a brief freeze.)
Antonyms
normal operation (Describes the opposite state, when the system is working and responding as expected.)
|
smooth performance (Emphasizes that software runs without freezes or delays.)
Themes
technology
|daily life
Definition
A time when a computer or app does not move or answer when you click or type.
A situation in which a computer, program, or screen stops responding to input and becomes stuck.
Grammar
Dictionary form
freeze
IPA
GB/fɹˈiz/
US/fɹˈiz/
Syllables & stress
freeze (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (freeze)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: freeze
- Plural: freezes
Verb
- Base: freeze
- 3rd Person Singular: freezes
- Present Participle: freezing
- Past: froze
- Past Participle: frozen
Word family
Forms
Core family
freezer
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
unfreeze
verb
Advanced or less common
freezable
adjective
antifreeze
noun
Highlights
- Irregular past: froze Verb
- Irregular past participle: frozen Verb
Expressions
brain freeze
1/bɹˈeɪn fɹˈiz/
idiom
informal
short headache from very cold food
A short, strong pain in your head that happens when you eat or drink something that is very cold, like ice cream.
Examples
- If you drink that milkshake so fast, you’ll get brain freeze.
- I got a terrible brain freeze from the ice cream.
- She stopped after a few bites because the slushie gave her brain freeze.
deep freeze
1/dˈip fɹˈiz/
fixed phrase
very low temperature food storage
A very cold space or machine used to keep food for a long time, or the very low temperature in that space.
Examples
- We keep bulk meat in a deep freeze in the garage.
- Put those vegetables in the deep freeze if you’re not using them today.
- The company sells frozen meals that can be stored in a deep freeze for months.
freeze out
1/fɹˈiz ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
deliberately exclude someone
To make someone feel they are not welcome, or to stop them from taking part in something, usually by ignoring them or working against them.
Examples
- They tried to freeze him out of the project by not inviting him to key meetings.
- She felt frozen out by her colleagues after the new manager arrived.
- Small local shops are being frozen out of the market by big chains.
freeze over
1/fɹˈiz ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
surface becomes covered with ice
For the top of water, ground, or another surface to become solid with ice because of cold weather.
Examples
- The pond usually freezes over by December.
- The road froze over during the night and was very slippery in the morning.
- If the lake freezes over completely, people sometimes go skating on it.
freeze to death
1/fɹˈiz tə dˈɛθ/
fixed phrase
die from extreme cold
To die, or almost die, because your body becomes too cold in very low temperatures. Often also used in exaggeration to mean "feel very, very cold".
Examples
- Without shelter, people can freeze to death in weather like this.
- Put on a coat; you’ll freeze to death out there.
- Several animals nearly froze to death during the unexpected snowstorm.
freeze up
1/fɹˈiz ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
suddenly be unable to act or speak
To suddenly not be able to move, speak, or act because you are afraid, nervous, or under pressure.
Examples
- He always freezes up when he has to speak in public.
- I completely froze up during the interview and forgot my answers.
- She started to play the piano, then froze up when she saw how many people were watching.
put a freeze on
1/pˈʊt ə fɹˈiz ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
officially stop activity or increases
To decide, often in a company or government, that something like hiring, spending, or price increases must stop for a period of time.
Examples
- The board put a freeze on all non-essential travel.
- They put a freeze on new hires until the budget improves.
- The city has put a freeze on building permits in that area.