icy
extremely or sharply cold
Very, very cold in temperature, close to freezing.
[something] is icy / an icy [noun]
- We woke up to an icy wind blowing off the lake.
- The office was so icy that everyone kept their coats on.
- She dipped her hands into the icy water and pulled them out immediately.
- He walked home through the icy night air.
- The hikers were not prepared for the icy conditions at the summit.
- The wind is icy today.
- I drank some icy water after my run.
- It is icy outside, so wear a coat.
- The room felt icy and dark.
- The lake water was icy even in summer.
covered in ice, slippery
Having ice on the surface, often making it easy to slip or fall.
an icy [surface] / [place] is icy
- Be careful, the driveway is icy and you could fall.
- The car skidded on the icy road and hit the barrier.
- School was canceled because of the icy conditions.
- We avoided the icy steps and used the back entrance instead.
- The path by the river was too icy to walk on safely.
- The road is icy, so drive slowly.
- He slipped on the icy sidewalk.
- The steps are icy after the snow.
- We cannot play outside because the ground is icy.
- The bridge is very icy in winter.
emotionally cold or unfriendly
Showing no warmth or kindness; acting cold and unfriendly toward other people.
an icy [tone/look/reply] / [someone] is icy toward [someone]
- She gave him an icy look and turned away without speaking.
- His voice was icy when he told them to leave.
- The idea received an icy reception from the board.
- Her smile was polite but icy, and I knew she was angry.
- There was an icy distance between the two colleagues after their argument.
- Her words were icy and hurt me.
- He gave me an icy look and said nothing.
- The boss was icy with her team today.
- I felt his icy voice on the phone.
- The guests gave the new idea an icy reception.
calm, hard, and emotionless
Very calm and without any clear feeling on the face or in the voice, sometimes in a scary or strong way.
icy [calm/silence/stare/voice/determination]
- She watched the chaos with an icy calm that surprised everyone.
- He fixed her with an icy stare that made her fall silent.
- There was an icy silence in the room after his remark.
- Her voice was icy with determination as she accepted the challenge.
- The judge listened with icy detachment to the emotional testimony.
- He looked at me with an icy stare.
- There was an icy silence after his joke failed.
- She stayed in icy calm during the accident.
- The teacher spoke in an icy voice to the noisy class.
- The woman answered with icy determination.
- Base: icy
- Comparative: icier
- Superlative: iciest
an icy stare
1very cold, hostile look
A way of looking at someone with very cold, unfriendly eyes that shows anger or dislike.
- She shot him an icy stare and left the room.
- The manager gave the late employee an icy stare.
- His answer was met with an icy stare from the judge.
icy blue eyes
1very pale, cold-looking blue eyes
Eyes that are very light blue and look cold or hard, not warm or friendly.
- He watched her with icy blue eyes that gave nothing away.
- Her icy blue eyes made him feel nervous.
- The villain was described as tall, with icy blue eyes.
icy calm
1extreme, cold kind of calm
A very strong kind of calm with almost no feeling shown, even in a difficult or dangerous situation.
- She handled the crisis with an icy calm that impressed everyone.
- He listened to the bad news in icy calm.
- Despite the chaos around him, he remained in an icy calm.
icy cold
1very, very cold
Extremely cold; colder than just "cold".
- The water was icy cold and took her breath away.
- We walked home through the icy cold night.
- He wrapped his hands around an icy cold bottle from the fridge.
icy conditions
1weather with lots of ice
A situation where the ground, roads, and other surfaces have a lot of ice on them.
- Flights were delayed because of icy conditions at the airport.
- The race was canceled due to icy conditions on the track.
- Authorities warned of icy conditions overnight.
icy detachment
1cold emotional distance
A way of thinking or acting that is very distant and without warm feelings, as if the person does not care at all.
- The reporter described the scene with icy detachment.
- She observed their argument with icy detachment.
- His icy detachment made it hard to know what he really thought.
icy reception
1very cold, unwelcoming welcome
An unfriendly welcome that shows people do not like a person or idea.
- The new policy got an icy reception from staff.
- She received an icy reception from her ex-colleagues.
- The visiting team got an icy reception from the home fans.
icy road
1road covered with ice
A road that has ice on it and is very easy to slip or slide on.
- Drivers were warned about icy roads in the region.
- We avoided the highway because of icy roads.
- The accident was caused by an icy road and poor visibility.
icy silence
1silence showing anger or dislike
A very strong, cold silence that shows people are angry, hurt, or very unhappy.
- His comment was followed by an icy silence around the table.
- There was an icy silence when she walked into the room.
- The joke fell flat, and an icy silence spread through the crowd.
icy wind
1extremely cold wind
Wind that feels very, very cold on your skin.
- An icy wind blew in from the north.
- We walked against an icy wind all the way home.
- The icy wind cut through his thin jacket.