What does frigid mean?
Frigid means intensely cold — so cold as to be piercing, severe, or inhospitable. Its primary use is literal: frigid temperatures, frigid winds, frigid waters, especially in contexts of winter weather, polar regions, or anything uncomfortably chill. But English long ago extended the word to human temperament: a person, glance, welcome, or atmosphere may be described as frigid when it is markedly unwarmed by friendliness, emotion, or desire. This figurative sense gives the word its sharpest connotations — frigidness implies deliberate distance or lifeless formality, which is why describing someone as frigid can be cutting, even cruel. Historically the label was also applied, insensitively, to women's sexuality, a usage now regarded as dated and offensive. Derived from the Latin frigidus ('cold'), the word entered English in the late sixteenth century and remains standard in both British and American usage. It is useful whenever precision about extreme cold matters — meteorological reports, travel writing, fiction — and equally serviceable, handled with care, for conveying emotional frostiness in prose.
Extremely cold; having a very low temperature.
"The expedition abandoned base camp when frigid conditions cracked the fuel lines."
Standard in both British and American usage; stronger and more severe-sounding than merely 'cold' or 'chilly'.
Showing or characterized by a lack of warmth, affection, or friendliness.
"He was met with a frigid silence when he raised the subject at dinner."
When applied to people this sense carries strongly negative connotation; a dated application to women's sexuality is now considered pejorative and should be avoided.
The ancient Romans invented a room called the frigidarium—a pool of deliberately cold water at the heart of their baths—which is why 'frigid' still carries an icy chill fifteen centuries later.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frigid
Frigid comes from the Latin frigidus, meaning 'cold', derived from the verb frigere, 'to be cold', whose root frig- also gave Latin frigus, 'cold, coolness'. English adopted the word in the late sixteenth century, initially chiefly in reference to temperature. The same Latin root produced refrigerare, whence modern 'refrigerate', making 'frigid' and 'refrigeration' direct cousins within English itself.
Related word forms
How frigid is actually used
In its literal sense 'frigid' is neutral and widely used for weather and climate. The figurative sense, describing an unfriendly manner or atmosphere, carries strong negative connotation and can feel harsh when applied to a person; applied to women's sexuality the term is now widely considered outdated and pejorative.