Meanings
plural frigidities
- countableuncountableLack of natural heat and vigor of body; impotency.
It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.
1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Cameleon”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 133 - countableuncountableLack of or low sex drive; a persistent inability to become aroused or achieve sexual satisfaction.
An epileptic lover may (slightly) experience […] sporadic impotence/frigidity.
1983 February 12, John Zeh, “Epilepsy”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 29, page 41 more example
In France, Mme. de Pompadour was induced by Louis XV to eat such testicles in order to break down her frigidity.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 232
Synonyms & antonyms
nounColdness of feeling, manner or quality; lack of ardor, animation or vivacity.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsexual unresponsiveness (especially of women) and inability to achieve orgasm during intercourse
nounthe absence of heat
nouna lack of affection or enthusiasm
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinfrīgiditās
- Latinfrīgiditātem
- Middle Frenchfrigidité
- Middle Englishfrigiditee
- Englishfrigidity
From Middle English frigiditee, frigidite, a borrowing from Middle French frigidité, itself a borrowing from Latin frīgiditātem, accusative of Latin frīgiditās.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Frigidität
- Frigiditätthe state of being frigid
Italian frigidità
- frigiditàthe state of being frigid
Latin frīgiditās
- frīgiditāsthe state of being frigid
Turkish soğukluk
- soğuklukthe state of being frigid
Cite this entry
frigidity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigidity
“frigidity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigidity. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frigidity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frigidity.
Source: frigidity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.