ice
gb/ˈaɪs/ us/ˈaɪs/
A1
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Frozen water in solid form
Water that is hard and cold because it has frozen.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ice' with 'snow'; snow is frozen water falling from the sky, while ice is frozen water on a surface or in solid blocks.
Synonyms
frozen water (More descriptive but less common as a fixed term.)
Antonyms
steam (Water in gaseous form, opposite in state to ice.)
Collocations
ice cubes
|crushed ice
|thick ice
|ice sheet
|ice block
Themes
science
|daily life
|nature
|weather
Examples
- The lake was covered with a thick layer of ice.
- She put some ice in her drink to keep it cold.
- The road was slippery because of the ice.
- He chipped the ice off the windshield.
- Ice formed on the windows overnight.
Learner examples
- The ice is very cold.
- There is ice on the road.
- I put ice in my cup.
- The lake is under the ice.
- Ice is hard water.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Frozen surface for skating or sports
A flat frozen place where people skate or play hockey.
Synonyms
rink (Specifically a prepared area for skating, not any frozen surface.)
Antonyms
dry ground (A non-frozen surface unsuitable for skating.)
Collocations
on the ice
|ice rink
|slip on the ice
|clear the ice
Themes
sports
|daily life
|weather
Examples
- The players took to the ice after the break.
- She glided gracefully across the ice.
- They shoveled snow off the ice before playing hockey.
Learner examples
- We skate on the ice.
- The game is played on the ice.
- He falls on the ice.
Verb
A2
action
3
To cover with icing or frozen layer
To put sweet cream on a cake, or to cover something with frozen water.
Usage pattern:
to ice [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'ice' (to put icing) with 'freeze' (to make something cold).
Synonyms
frost (In baking, 'frost' is more common in American English; 'ice' is slightly more British.)
Antonyms
strip (To remove a covering instead of adding one.)
Collocations
ice a cake
|ice cookies
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- She will ice the cake before the guests arrive.
- He iced the cookies with bright colors.
- The baker carefully iced each cupcake.
Learner examples
- I will ice the cake.
- She ices the cookies.
- We ice the cupcakes.
Verb
B1
action
4
Apply ice to reduce pain/swelling
To put cold ice on part of your body to help it heal.
Usage pattern:
to ice [a body part]
Synonyms
cool (General term for making something less warm; 'ice' implies direct contact with frozen water.)
Antonyms
heat (Applying warmth instead of cold to treat an injury.)
Collocations
ice your knee
|ice an injury
Themes
health
|sports
|body
Examples
- You should ice your ankle after that fall.
- He iced his shoulder after practice.
- The trainer told her to ice her wrist for fifteen minutes.
Learner examples
- I will ice my leg.
- Ice your arm after the game.
- He ices his knee every night.
Noun
slang
B2
entity
5
Diamonds or expensive jewelry (slang)
(Slang) Expensive jewelry with shiny stones, like diamonds.
Synonyms
bling ('Bling' is more informal and covers flashy jewelry in general, not just diamonds.)
Antonyms
costume jewelry (Cheap imitation jewelry not made from precious materials.)
Collocations
flashy ice
|bling and ice
Themes
fashion
|slang
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The rapper was wearing a lot of ice around his neck.
- She showed off her new ice at the party.
- That ring is pure ice.
Learner examples
- He wears a lot of ice.
- She has some ice on her hand.
- The singer shows his ice.
Verb
slang
C1
action
6
Kill someone deliberately (slang)
(Slang) To kill someone on purpose.
Usage pattern:
to ice [someone]
Synonyms
whack ('Whack' is similar slang but specific to mob or gang contexts.)
Antonyms
spare (To choose not to kill someone.)
Collocations
ice a rival
|iced by gang
Themes
crime
|slang
|law
Examples
- The hitman was hired to ice the witness.
- They threatened to ice anyone who talked to the police.
- He was iced in broad daylight.
Learner examples
- The gang will ice him.
- They iced the man.
- He was iced last night.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ice
IPA
GB/ˈaɪs/
US/ˈaɪs/
Syllables & stress
ice (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ice)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ice
- Plural: ice, ices
Verb
- Base: ice
- 3rd Person Singular: ices
- Present Participle: icing
- Past: iced
Word family
Forms
ices
noun
icing
verb
iced
verb
Core family
icy
adjective A2
Related words
icicle
noun
iceberg
noun
Negative and opposite forms
de-ice
verb
Advanced or less common
icily
adverb
iciness
noun
Expressions
break the ice
1/bɹˈeɪk ðə ˈaɪs/
idiom
Start talking to ease tension
To start talking to people so everyone feels more relaxed.
Examples
- He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
- A fun game can help break the ice at parties.
cut no ice (with someone)
1/kˈʌt nˈoʊ ˈaɪs wˈɪθ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
idiom
informal
Have no effect or influence
To not change what someone thinks or does at all.
Examples
- His excuses cut no ice with her.
- That argument will cut no ice in court.
ice over
1/ˈaɪs ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
Become covered with frozen water layer
When water freezes and makes a hard layer on top of something.
Examples
- The pond iced over during the night.
- Be careful, the road has iced over.
tip of the iceberg
1/tˈɪp əv ðə ˈaɪsbɚɡ/
idiom
Small part of bigger problem/situation
Only a small part of a much bigger problem that you cannot see yet.
Examples
- These complaints are just the tip of the iceberg.
- The problems we see are only the tip of the iceberg.
on thin ice
1/ˈɔn θˈɪn ˈaɪs/
idiom
in a risky situation
In a situation where you could easily get into trouble or cause problems if you make a mistake.
Examples
- After missing another deadline, he's on thin ice with his boss.
- You're on thin ice with your boss after arriving late again.
- You're on thin ice if you keep arriving late to work.
- The company is on thin ice financially.