Freeze vs. Frozen: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Freeze" is a verb describing the action of turning into ice or becoming very cold, while "Frozen" is the past participle of freeze, used as an adjective to describe something that has been frozen.
Key Differences
"Freeze" is primarily used as a verb, indicating the action of turning liquid into ice or becoming extremely cold. For example, "Water will freeze at 0°C." On the other hand, "Frozen" is used as an adjective, describing a state where something has already been solidified by cold, as in "The lake is frozen."
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Nov 29, 2023
"Freeze" is often used in present tense or as an imperative, such as in "Don't freeze out there!" Conversely, "Frozen" is the past participle form of freeze, used to describe something that has already undergone the freezing process, such as in "Frozen food lasts longer."
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Nov 29, 2023
As a verb, "Freeze" can be used in various tenses and forms, like "freezing," "freezes," or "froze." "Frozen" is an adjective derived from the verb and is used to modify nouns, for instance, "frozen desserts are my favorite."
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"Freeze" is dynamic and indicates the process: "If you don’t heat the room, the pipes will freeze." In contrast, "Frozen" is static, representing a completed action: "The frozen lake was perfect for skating."
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Nov 29, 2023
Both can be used figuratively: "Freeze" as in "I tend to freeze when speaking in public," indicating an action of stopping or becoming immobile. "Frozen" can describe a state, as in "He was frozen with fear," suggesting a condition of being immobile or unresponsive due to fear.
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Nov 29, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Tense Usage
Present, future (e.g., "will freeze")
Past participle (e.g., "has frozen")
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Role in Sentence
Describes an action
Describes the state or condition of a noun
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Figurative Use
Can imply becoming immobile (e.g., "freeze in fear")
Can describe a fixed state (e.g., "frozen in time")
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Freeze and Frozen Definitions
Freeze
To acquire a surface or coat of ice from cold
The lake froze over in January. Bridges freeze before the adjacent roads.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Freeze
To become clogged or jammed because of the formation of ice
The pipes froze in the basement.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To be at that degree of temperature at which ice forms
It may freeze tonight.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To be killed or harmed by cold or frost
They almost froze to death. Mulch keeps garden plants from freezing.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To be or feel uncomfortably cold
Aren't you freezing without a coat?.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become fixed, stuck, or attached by or as if by frost
The lock froze up with rust.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To stop functioning properly, usually temporarily
My computer screen froze when I opened the infected program.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Immobile, as from pain or inflammation. Used of a joint
A frozen shoulder.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become motionless or immobile, as from surprise or attentiveness
I heard a sound and froze in my tracks.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Expressive of cold unfriendliness or disdain
A frozen look on their faces.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become unable to act or speak, as from fear
Froze in front of the audience.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become rigid and inflexible; solidify
An opinion that froze into dogma.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Having undergone the process of freezing; in ice form.
The mammoth has been frozen for ten thousand years.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Immobilized.
I just stood frozen as the robber pointed at me with his gun.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To cause to congeal or stiffen from extreme cold
Winter cold that froze the ground.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
(of a bank account or assets) In a state such that transactions are not allowed.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To preserve (foods, for example) by subjecting to freezing temperatures.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
(grammar) Retaining an older, obsolete syntax of an earlier version of a language, which now operates only on a specific word or phrase.
"Dice" is a frozen plural.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To damage, kill, or make inoperative by cold or by the formation of ice.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Congealed with cold; affected by freezing; as, a frozen brook.
They warmed their frozen feet.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Subject to frost, or to long and severe cold; chilly; as, the frozen north; the frozen zones.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To stop the motion or progress of
The negotiations were frozen by the refusal of either side to compromise.
Froze the video in order to discuss the composition of the frame.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold;
The frozen North
Frozen pipes
Children skating on a frozen brook
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Absolutely still;
Frozen with horror
They stood rooted in astonishment
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain;
A frigid greeting
Got a frosty reception
A frozen look on their faces
A glacial handshake
Icy stare
Wintry smile
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To prevent or restrict the exchange, withdrawal, liquidation, or granting of by governmental action
Freeze investment loans during a depression.
Froze foreign assets held by US banks.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Used of foods; preserved by freezing sufficiently rapidly to retain flavor and nutritional value;
Frozen foods
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(Sports) To keep possession of (a ball or puck) so as to deny an opponent the opportunity to score.
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Incapable of being changed or moved or undone; e.g.
Frozen prices
Living on fixed incomes
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Oct 19, 2023
Frozen
Very cold to the touch
His hands were frozen after the snowball fight.
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Nov 29, 2023
Freeze
A restriction that forbids a quantity from rising above a given or current level
A freeze on city jobs.
A proposed freeze on the production of nuclear weapons.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
Especially of a liquid, to become solid due to low temperature.
The lake froze solid.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(transitive) To lower something's temperature to the point that it freezes or becomes hard.
Don't freeze meat twice.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(intransitive) To drop to a temperature below zero degrees celsius, where water turns to ice.
It didn't freeze this winter, but last winter was very harsh.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To be affected by extreme cold.
It's freezing in here!
Don't go outside wearing just a t-shirt; you'll freeze!
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(intransitive) (of machines and software) To come to a sudden halt, stop working (functioning).
Since the last update, the program freezes after a few minutes of use.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(intransitive) (of people and other animals) To stop (become motionless) or be stopped due to attentiveness, fear, surprise, etc.
Despite all of the rehearsals, I froze as soon as I got on stage.
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Freeze
(figuratively) To lose or cause to lose warmth of feeling; to shut out; to ostracize.
Over time, he froze towards her, and ceased to react to her friendly advances.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(transitive) To prevent the movement or liquidation of a person's financial assets
The court froze the criminal's bank account.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
Of prices, spending etc., to keep at the same level, without any increase.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(Internet) To prevent from showing any visible change.
Some websites, such as YouTube, deliberately freeze the view count, intended to deter attempts to game the system.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(computer) The state when either a single computer program, or the whole system ceases to respond to inputs.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
(curling) A precise draw weight shot where a delivered stone comes to a stand-still against a stationary stone, making it nearly impossible to knock out.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
A block on pay rises or on the hiring of new employees etc.
A hiring freeze;
A pay freeze
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become congealed by cold; to be changed from a liquid to a solid state by the abstraction of heat; to be hardened into ice or a like solid body.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To become chilled with cold, or as with cold; to suffer loss of animation or life by lack of heat; as, the blood freezes in the veins.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To congeal; to harden into ice; to convert from a fluid to a solid form by cold, or abstraction of heat.
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To cause loss of animation or life in, from lack of heat; to give the sensation of cold to; to chill.
A faint, cold fear runs through my veins,That almost freezes up the heat of life.
A railroad which had a London connection must not be allowed to freeze out one that had no such connection.
It is sometimes a long time before a player who is frozen out can get into a game again.
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Freeze
An interruption or temporary suspension of progress or movement;
A halt in the arms race
A nuclear freeze
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Freeze
Fixing (of prices or wages etc) at a particular level;
A freeze on hiring
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Freeze
Stop moving or become immobilized;
When he saw the police car he froze
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Freeze
Be cold;
I could freeze to death in this office when the air conditioning is turned on
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
Stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it;
Suspend the aid to the war-torn country
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Freeze
Change from a liquid to a solid when cold;
Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit
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Freeze
Prohibit the conversion or use of (assets);
Blocked funds
Freeze the assets of this hostile government
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
Suddenly behave coldly and formally;
She froze when she saw her ex-husband
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Oct 19, 2023
Freeze
To immobilize with fear or shock
She would freeze whenever confronted.
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Nov 29, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can "freeze" be used figuratively?
Yes, "freeze" can be used to imply becoming immobile or stopping suddenly, as in fear.
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Nov 29, 2023
What is "freeze"?
"Freeze" is a verb meaning to turn liquid into ice or become very cold.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can "freeze" indicate a command?
Yes, "freeze" can be an imperative, as in "Freeze! Don’t move!"
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Nov 29, 2023
How is "freeze" used in a sentence?
As a verb, e.g., "Water will freeze at 0°C."
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Nov 29, 2023
Does "frozen" always imply cold?
Primarily, but it can also imply immobility or unresponsiveness in different contexts.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can "freeze" be used in cooking?
Yes, as in "Freeze the leftovers for later use."
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Nov 29, 2023
What does "frozen" mean?
"Frozen" is an adjective describing something that has been turned into ice or is very cold.
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Nov 29, 2023
Is "frozen" only used literally?
No, "frozen" can also be used figuratively, like being frozen in time or fear.
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Nov 29, 2023
Does "freeze" have a noun form?
Yes, "freeze" as a noun refers to a period of freezing temperature.
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Nov 29, 2023
What is freezing point?
The temperature at which a liquid turns into ice, relevant to the verb "freeze."
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How do you use "frozen" in a sentence?
As an adjective, e.g., "The pond is frozen."
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Nov 29, 2023
Is "frozen" ever a verb?
No, "frozen" is not used as a verb; it's an adjective.
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Nov 29, 2023
How does "frozen" relate to food?
It describes food that has been preserved by freezing, like "frozen vegetables."
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What does "deep frozen" mean?
It refers to something frozen at a very low temperature for preservation.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can "frozen" describe a landscape?
Yes, it can describe a landscape covered in ice or snow, like "a frozen tundra."
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Nov 29, 2023
Are "freeze" and "frozen" related?
Yes, "frozen" is derived from the verb "freeze."
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Nov 29, 2023
Can "frozen" refer to emotions?
Yes, it can describe someone being emotionally unresponsive or immobile.
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Nov 29, 2023
Is "freeze" used in finance?
Yes, as in "to freeze assets," meaning to prohibit access to them.
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Nov 29, 2023
Can "freeze" be used in technology?
Yes, like in "The computer screen will freeze if it overheats."
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Nov 29, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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