What does frigidity mean?
"Frigidity" is a noun describing the quality or state of being cold, in two quite different ways. Literally, it denotes extreme cold, whether of a season, a climate, or a physical environment — the kind of punishing chill faced by Arctic explorers. Figuratively, and more commonly in everyday speech, it refers to a lack of emotional warmth: an unsmiling formality, a reserved or unwelcoming manner, or a failure to respond with expected feeling. The word carries a pointedly negative connotation in this human sense, suggesting not mere shyness but a character judged cold or unresponsive. It also has an older clinical meaning — the absence of sexual desire or responsiveness — though modern writing tends to favor other terminology. Derived through French from the Latin frigidus, "cold," the word shares its origins with "frigid" and "refrigerate." Whether applied to a glacier or a glacial reception, "frigidity" remains a vivid shorthand for anything marked by an absence of heat or warmth.
nounThe state or quality of being cold, either literally (extreme coldness of temperature or climate) or figuratively (a lack of warmth, emotion, or enthusiasm in a person's manner). In older and medical usage it also refers to an absence or loss of sexual desire or responsiveness.
- Coldness of personality or manner; lack of emotional warmth, friendliness, or enthusiasm.
- Extreme physical cold, as of a climate, season, or environment.
- (Medical/psychological usage, now dated) Absence or loss of sexual desire or responsiveness.
"Her replies were polite but brief, and their conversation was marked by an unmistakable frigidity."
"Despite the blazing hearth, an air of frigidity hung over the strained family gathering."
"The expedition struggled against the brutal frigidity of the Antarctic plateau, where temperatures plunged far below freezing."
The plural is rare and typically appears only in technical, historical, or literary contexts referring to multiple instances or kinds of coldness.
"The travel writer catalogued the frigidities of the far north, from wind-scoured ice fields to months without sun."
Before refrigerators existed, English speakers borrowed Latin's word for cold to describe both icy weather and icy personalities — one word for the chill of winter and the chill of a cold shoulder.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frigidity
"Frigidity" derives from the Latin frigidus, meaning "cold," formed from the root frigere, "to be cold," which also gives us "frigid" and underlies "refrigerate" and "refrigeration." The term passed into English via Old French during the medieval period, with established use by the early modern era. Its figurative application to human temperament developed alongside the literal climatic sense, and the word entered medical vocabulary as a label for absent sexual response before falling out of favor in that context.
Related word forms
How frigidity is actually used
"Frigidity" carries a strongly negative connotation in its figurative sense, implying deliberate aloofness or emotional barrenness, so it is best used carefully when describing people. Its medical sense regarding sexual response reflects older clinical language and appears less frequently in contemporary writing, where terms like "low sexual desire" are generally preferred. The literal climatic sense is neutral and common in travel, weather, and exploration writing.
Easily confused with frigidity
"Frigid" is the adjective describing something that is cold or unfeeling, while "frigidity" is the noun denoting the quality or condition of coldness itself.