MEANING
To become suddenly still or unable to act, especially under threat.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- freeze in fear
- freeze on the spot
- freeze when challenged
On the page
When the door opened, he froze with the letter still in his hand.
She froze instead of running, unable to choose a direction.
The recruit had trained for months, yet he froze at the first shout.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- freeze / freezes
- Past tense
- froze
- Past participle
- frozen
- Present participle
- freezing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- freeze / freezes
- Present continuous
- am/is/are freezing
- Present perfect
- have/has frozen
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been freezing
- Past
- froze
- Past continuous
- was/were freezing
- Past perfect
- had frozen
- Past perfect continuous
- had been freezing
- Future
- will freeze / freezes
- Future continuous
- will be freezing
- Future perfect
- will have frozen
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been freezing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. A defensive response distinct from flight or attack; not every freezing episode indicates cowardice. Also means become frozen physically. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): freeze, freezes, froze, frozen, freezing.
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