frost
gb/fɹˈɔst/ us/fɹˈɔst/
A2
English
~ 9000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
thin ice layer on surfaces
A very thin layer of ice on things, like grass or car windows, when it is very cold outside.
Usage pattern:
frost on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "frost" with "snow". Frost is a thin layer of ice on surfaces, while snow falls from the sky as white flakes. Learners may also say "the ground is full of frost" instead of the natural "the ground is covered in frost".
Synonyms
ice (General term for frozen water; less specific about forming a thin, powdery layer on surfaces.)
Antonyms
thaw (Refers to the warming and melting of ice or frost, the opposite of it forming or remaining.)
Collocations
morning frost
|thick frost
|light frost
|covered in frost
|scrape the frost
|frost on the ground
Themes
weather
|nature
|daily life
Examples
- The car windows were covered in frost when I went outside this morning.
- A thick frost glittered on the grass under the streetlights.
- You’ll need to scrape the frost off the windshield before you can drive.
- There was a light frost on the ground, but no snow yet.
- The plants were damaged by the heavy frost on the leaves.
Learner examples
- There is frost on the car.
- The grass is white with frost today.
- She uses a scraper to remove the frost from the window.
- I woke up and saw frost on the ground.
- The flowers died because of the frost on their petals.
Noun
A2
event
2
period of freezing cold weather
Very cold weather when the temperature is at or below 0°C, which can hurt or kill plants.
Usage pattern:
[a/the] frost
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "frost" only for ice on surfaces and forget it can also mean the cold weather period itself. For weather, say "We had a frost last night", not "We had a frost on the ground last night" (natural: "We had frost on the ground" or "We had a frost last night").
Synonyms
freeze (Commonly used for a period of below-freezing weather; slightly stronger and more general than "frost".)
Antonyms
heatwave (Refers to a long period of unusually hot weather, contrasting with a period of freezing weather.)
Collocations
a hard frost
|a late frost
|ground frost
|first frost
|overnight frost
|a touch of frost
Themes
weather
|nature
|farming
Examples
- Farmers are worried that a late frost could damage the fruit trees.
- We usually get the first frost in October.
- Tonight’s frost warning means you should bring delicate plants indoors.
- After several nights of hard frost, the ground was completely frozen.
- The vines were ruined by the unexpected spring frost.
Learner examples
- We had a hard frost last night.
- The first frost of the year comes in November here.
- A late frost can kill young plants.
- The news said there may be frost tonight.
- Gardeners watch the weather for frost in spring.
Verb
B1
action
3
cover or be covered with frost
To put a thin layer of frost on something, or for frost to grow on something when it is very cold.
Usage pattern:
to frost [something]
Common mistake:
Learners often use only "freeze" and do not realize that "frost" is more specific for a thin icy layer on surfaces. Also, learners may say "the window frosted with ice"; natural English is "the window frosted over" or "the window was frosted with ice".
Synonyms
freeze (A broader verb meaning to turn to ice; "frost" focuses on the thin icy coating on a surface.)
Antonyms
defrost (Means to remove ice or frost from something or let it melt, the opposite of allowing it to frost.)
Collocations
windows frost over
|the glass frosted up
|frosted windscreen
|frosted windshield
|frosted over completely
Themes
weather
|daily life
|nature
Examples
- The bathroom mirror frosted over during the cold snap.
- By morning, the lake had frosted around the edges.
- The driver waited for the windshield to frost less before continuing up the mountain road.
- The pipes in the attic had frosted over and then burst.
- The outside of the glass began to frost as the temperature dropped.
Learner examples
- The windows frosted over in the night.
- The car windshield frosted quickly in the cold air.
- The pipes in the garage frosted and then broke.
- The glass bottle frosted when I took it outside.
- My bedroom window frosts every winter.
Verb
B2
action
4
put icing on a cake
To put a sweet cream or sugar mixture on the outside of a cake or other baked food.
Usage pattern:
to frost [a cake / cupcakes / cookies]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "frost" for cakes means to freeze them. In cooking, "frost" means to cover with sweet icing. Also, British learners may overuse "ice" in American contexts where "frost" sounds more natural (e.g. in US recipes).
Synonyms
ice (In British English, "ice" is more common than "frost" for covering cakes; in American English, "frost" is standard.)
Antonyms
leave plain (To not add icing or decoration to a cake, the opposite of frosting it.)
Collocations
frost a cake
|lightly frost
|frosted cupcakes
|chocolate-frosted doughnuts
|frost with buttercream
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily life
|food_drink
Examples
- Let the cake cool completely before you frost it.
- She spent the afternoon baking and frosting cupcakes for the party.
- The recipe says to frost the cookies with lemon glaze once they’ve cooled.
- He carefully frosted the cake and added fresh berries on top.
- We bought chocolate-frosted doughnuts for the office.
Learner examples
- I will frost the cake after it cools.
- She likes to frost cupcakes with pink cream.
- My mother taught me how to frost a cake.
- They frosted the cookies with white sugar icing.
- He helped his sister frost the birthday cake.
Verb
B2
action
5
add light highlights to hair
To make some small parts of hair a lighter color, usually by using a chemical.
Usage pattern:
to frost [someone’s] hair
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "frost" for hair with making it white from age or cold weather. In hairstyling, it is a deliberate coloring process, similar to adding highlights.
Synonyms
highlight (More general and common term; "frost" often suggests many small, light streaks, sometimes at the ends.)
Antonyms
dye dark (To color the hair a darker shade instead of adding lighter highlights.)
Collocations
frosted tips
|frost her hair
|frosted highlights
|have your hair frosted
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|daily_life
|clothing
Examples
- He used to frost the tips of his hair in high school.
- She’s thinking about having her hair frosted for summer.
- The stylist suggested lightly frosting the front sections to brighten her face.
- In the 1990s, frosted hair was a popular look for teenagers.
- He regretted frosting his hair so much because it became very dry.
Learner examples
- She wants to frost her hair before the holiday.
- The hairdresser frosted the front of his hair.
- He had frosted tips when he was young.
- My sister got her hair frosted last week.
- People sometimes frost their hair to make it look lighter.
Verb
B2
action
6
make glass rough and opaque
To treat glass or another surface so it is not clear and looks white and rough, like frost on a window.
Usage pattern:
to frost [glass / a window / a surface]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "frosted glass" is always cold or covered in ice. In fact, it often refers to a permanent surface treatment that looks like frost but is not caused by temperature.
Synonyms
etch (More technical; refers to using chemicals or tools to mark or roughen glass, often to create a frosted look.)
Antonyms
polish (To make a surface smooth and shiny, the opposite of giving it a dull, frosted finish.)
Collocations
frosted glass
|frosted bathroom window
|frosted mug
|frosted light bulb
Themes
home
|materials
|design
|housing
|technology
Examples
- The bathroom door is fitted with frosted glass for privacy.
- You can frost the window with a special spray from the hardware store.
- The designer chose frosted light bulbs to create a softer glow.
- He likes to keep his beer in a frosted mug.
- They decided to frost the lower half of the office windows.
Learner examples
- The bathroom has a frosted glass door.
- We want to frost the windows so people cannot see in.
- The shop sells spray to frost glass at home.
- She drinks water from a frosted glass cup.
- Frosted glass lets in light but you cannot see through it clearly.
Noun
C1
state
7
cold, unfriendly atmosphere
An unfriendly feeling between people, when they are cold and distant with each other.
Usage pattern:
a frost between [people]
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this figurative use and think it refers to actual cold temperature. In context like "a frost between them", it describes emotional coldness, not the weather.
Synonyms
chill (Often used metaphorically for emotional coldness; "frost" suggests a stronger, more noticeable coldness.)
Antonyms
warmth (Refers to friendliness and kindness, the emotional opposite of "frost" in this sense.)
Collocations
a certain frost
|a sudden frost
|a frost between them
|a frost in the room
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- Her comment put a real frost in the room.
- There was a noticeable frost between the two colleagues after the argument.
- A slight frost settled over the conversation when politics came up.
- His refusal to apologize created a lasting frost in their relationship.
- You could feel the frost melt once they started joking again.
Learner examples
- There was a frost between them after the fight.
- His angry words created a frost in the office.
- A frost came into the room when she spoke to him.
- The frost slowly went away when they smiled at each other.
- You could feel a frost in their voices.
Noun
informal
C1
event
8
event that is a failure
A party, show, or plan that fails and is disappointing.
Usage pattern:
[something] is a frost
Common mistake:
This sense is less common and mostly informal. Learners may think it always relates to weather. In "the party was a frost", it means the party failed, not that it was cold outside.
Synonyms
flop (Very common informal word for a big failure, especially in entertainment; "frost" is similar but less frequent.)
Antonyms
hit (Informal word for a big success, especially for a show or event, the opposite of a frost.)
Collocations
a complete frost
|a bit of a frost
|the party was a frost
|the show was a frost
Themes
entertainment
|social
|evaluation
|business
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Unfortunately, the fundraiser was a complete frost and hardly anyone turned up.
- The play was a bit of a frost with the critics.
- After last year’s conference was such a frost, they decided to change the format.
- His latest project turned out to be a frost and was quickly cancelled.
- The party might have been a frost if the band hadn’t shown up.
Learner examples
- The concert was a frost and many seats were empty.
- The party was a complete frost; no one danced.
- Their new show was a frost with the audience.
- His idea was a frost and the boss said no.
- The meeting was a frost and solved nothing.
Grammar
Dictionary form
frost
IPA
GB/fɹˈɔst/
US/fɹˈɔst/
Syllables & stress
frost (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (frost)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: frost
- Plural: frost, frosts
Verb
- Base: frost
- 3rd Person Singular: frosts
- Present Participle: frosting
- Past: frosted
Word family
Expressions
a hard frost
1/ə hˈɑɹd fɹˈɔst/
fixed phrase
very strong, damaging frost
A very cold frost that is strong enough to freeze the ground hard and damage plants.
Examples
- A hard frost last week killed many of the flowers.
- Gardeners fear a hard frost in late spring.
- The lake began to freeze after several nights of hard frost.
a touch of frost
1/ə tˈʌt͡ʃ əv fɹˈɔst/
fixed phrase
small amount of frost or cold
A small amount of frost or freezing cold, usually early or late in the season.
Examples
- We may see a touch of frost in low-lying areas tonight.
- There was just a touch of frost on the grass this morning.
- The forecast mentioned a touch of frost in the northern counties.
after the first frost
1/ˈæftɚ ðə fˈɚst fɹˈɔst/
fixed phrase
time after first seasonal frost
After the first time in a season when the temperature is cold enough to create frost.
Examples
- Some vegetables taste sweeter when picked after the first frost.
- We usually bring the garden furniture inside after the first frost.
- The festival is held after the first frost, when the mosquitoes are gone.
frost out
1/fɹˈɔst ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
exclude someone by being cold
To make someone leave a group or place by being cold and unfriendly to them, not by directly telling them to go.
Examples
- They tried to frost him out of the club by ignoring him at every meeting.
- New management slowly frosted out the older staff.
- She felt the other students were trying to frost her out of the group.
frost over
1/fɹˈɔst ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
become covered with frost
To become covered with a thin layer of frost.
Examples
- The pond frosted over during the night.
- The car windows always frost over when it’s below freezing.
- The inside of the freezer has frosted over again and needs cleaning.
frost up
1/fɹˈɔst ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
surface becomes hard to see through
To become covered with frost so that you cannot see through the surface clearly.
Examples
- The windscreen started to frost up as the temperature dropped.
- My glasses frosted up when I went outside.
- The fridge door has frosted up again and won’t close properly.
Jack Frost
1/d͡ʒˈæk fɹˈɔst/
fixed phrase
literary
personification of cold and frost
A made-up character that represents cold winter weather and frost, often used in stories and poems.
Examples
- The children joked that Jack Frost had painted patterns on the windows.
- You can feel Jack Frost in the air tonight.
- Jack Frost has been busy; there’s ice on everything this morning.