Meanings
comparative more frigid · comparative frigider · superlative most frigid · superlative frigidest
- Very cold; lacking warmth; icy.
A frigid, fine rain was falling.
1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Eternal City”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 4271 more example
Reindeer are well suited to the taiga’s frigid winters. They can maintain a thermogradient between body core and the environment of up to 100 degrees, in part because of insulation provided by their fur, and in part because of counter-current vascular heat exchange systems in their legs and nasal passages.
2013 March 28, Nancy Langston, “Mining the Boreal North”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, archived from the original on 13 Apr 2016, page 98 - colloquialSexually unresponsive, especially of a woman.
In Italy, a plant called Pizza ugurdu is said to excite powerful erotic feelings even in the most frigid.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 125Synonyms: cold
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSexually unresponsive, especially of a woman.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivedevoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sríHgos
- Proto-Italic*srīgos
- Latinfrīgus
- Latinfrīgeō
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Latinfrīgidus
- Englishfrigid
Borrowed from Latin frīgidus (“cold”), from frīgeō (“to be cold”), from frīgus (“cold, coldness”), from Proto-Indo-European *sríHgos.
More words from Latin, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian студен, мразовит
- студен (studen)very cold
- мразовит (mrazovit)very cold
- студен (studen)chilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- безчувствен (bezčuvstven)chilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- фригиден (frigiden)sexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Catalan frígid, frígid
- frígidvery cold
- frígidsexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
- fredsexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Czech frigidní, ledový
- frigidnívery cold
- ledovývery cold
- frigidníchilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
Esperanto frosta, malvarmega
- frostavery cold
- malvarmegavery cold
Finnish jääkylmä, hyinen
- jääkylmävery cold
- hyinenvery cold
- jäätävävery cold
- kylmächilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- jäätävächilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- hyinenchilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- frigidisexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
French frigide, frigide
- frigidevery cold
- frigidesexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
German kalt
- kaltsexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Irish fuarchúiseach
- fuarchúiseachchilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
Italian gelido
- gelidovery cold
Latin frīgidus
- frīgidusvery cold
Māori hōkiwai, mātaratara
- hōkiwaivery cold
- mātarataravery cold
Norwegian iskald, frigid
- iskaldvery cold
- frigidsexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Portuguese frígido
- frígidosexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Russian о́чень холо́дный, моро́зный
- о́чень холо́дный (óčenʹ xolódnyj)very cold
- моро́зный (moróznyj)very cold
- фриги́дный (frigídnyj)sexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Spanish frígido, frío
- frígidovery cold
- fríosexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
- frígidosexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Swedish kylig, frigid
- kyligchilly in manner; lacking affection or zeal; impassive
- frigidsexually unresponsive, especially of a woman
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with frigid
All rhymes →Cite this entry
frigid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigid
“frigid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigid. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frigid,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigid.
Source: frigid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.