Meanings
present singular third person breaks the ice · participle present breaking the ice · past broke the ice · participle past broken the ice
- idiomaticTo start to get to know people to avoid social awkwardness and formality.
Including a few fun details in large group introductions can be a great way to break the ice.
- idiomaticTo introduce a conversation.
If it be so ſir, that you are the man Muſt ſteed us all, and me amongſt the reſt: And if you breake the ice and do this ſeeke, Atchieve the elder: ſet the yonger free, For our acceſſe, whose hap ſhall be to have her, will not so graceleſſe be, to be ingrate.
c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 214
Origin
By application of the metaphor that strangers are socially separated by ice.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan rompre el glaç
- rompre el glaçto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Chinese Mandarin 打破僵局, 打破冷場 /打破冷场
- 打破僵局 (dǎpò jiāngjú)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- 打破冷場 /打破冷场 (dǎpò lěngchǎng)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- 破冰 (pòbīng)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Czech prolomit ledy
- prolomit ledyto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Danish bryde isen
- bryde isento start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Dutch het ijs breken
- het ijs brekento start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Finnish keventää, vapauttaa (tunnelmaa)
- keventääto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- vapauttaa (tunnelmaa)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
French briser la glace
- briser la glaceto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
German das Eis brechen
- das Eis brechento start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Greek σπάζω τον πάγο, σπάω τον πάγο
- σπάζω τον πάγο (spázo ton págo)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- σπάω τον πάγο (spáo ton págo)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Hindi बात-चीत की औपचारिकता हटाना
- बात-चीत की औपचारिकता हटाना (bāt-cīt kī aupcāriktā haṭānā)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Hungarian megtöri a jeget
- megtöri a jegetto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Italian rompere il ghiaccio
- rompere il ghiaccioto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Japanese 口火を切る, 言い出す
- 口火を切る (kuchibi o kiru)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- 言い出す (iidasu)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Latvian spert pirmo soli
- spert pirmo solito start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Norwegian bryte isen
- bryte isento start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Polish przełamać lody
- przełamać lodyto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Portuguese quebrar o gelo
- quebrar o geloto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Romanian sparge gheața
- sparge gheațato start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Russian сде́лать пе́рвый шаг, положи́ть нача́ло
- сде́лать пе́рвый шаг (sdélatʹ pérvyj šag)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- положи́ть нача́ло (položítʹ načálo)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Spanish romper el hielo
- romper el hieloto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Swedish bryta isen
- bryta isento start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Thai ละลายพฤติกรรม
- ละลายพฤติกรรมto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Turkish buzları eritmek, kabuğundan çıkmak
- buzları eritmekto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- kabuğundan çıkmakto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
- kabuğunu kırmakto start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Ukrainian ламати лід
- ламати лід (lamaty lid)to start to get to know people, by avoiding awkwardness
Cite this entry
break the ice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20ice
“break the ice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20ice. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break the ice,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20the%20ice.
Source: break the ice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.