What does frizz mean?
Frizz describes the tendency of hair to form tight, unruly little curls or kinks, most famously when exposed to humidity. As a verb, it can work both ways: hair may frizz on its own in damp weather, or it may be frizzed deliberately, as stylists once did to create volume and texture. The word also serves as a noun for the resulting mass of tight, wayward curls. Frizz carries a strongly cosmetic connotation — in modern usage it is almost always framed as something to be tamed rather than admired, giving rise to an entire industry of anti-frizz serums, creams, and treatments. Historically, however, deliberate frizzing was fashionable: eighteenth- and nineteenth-century styles frequently required hair to be curled and crimped into ornamental clouds. The word derives from French origins connected to curling, and its everyday usefulness makes it a fixture of beauty writing, weather complaints, and personal grooming alike.
To form or cause hair to form tight, small curls or kinks, either spontaneously (as in humidity) or by deliberate curling.
"Her hair began to frizz as soon as she stepped out into the summer air."
Used both transitively ('the stylist frizzed her hair') and intransitively ('my hair frizzes easily').
Hair that has formed into tight, unruly little curls or kinks; the state or condition of being thus curled.
"No amount of conditioner could tame the frizz left behind by the storm."
Often used in compounds and phrases such as 'anti-frizz'.
Rarely used; frizz as a noun usually appears in the singular as a collective condition of the hair.
"Several stubborn frizzes appeared along her hairline after the rain."
That battle against frizz every humid morning traces back to a French word meaning simply 'to curl' — your hair isn't misbehaving, it's just speaking French.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frizz
Frizz entered English in the early seventeenth century, likely adapted from the French verb friser, meaning to curl or frizz hair. It belongs to a family of related forms including frizzle and frisure (an arranged curling of the hair), all stemming from the same curling vocabulary of French hairdressing. A French friseur was literally a hairdresser, underscoring how deeply the word's roots lie in the professional styling trade.
Related word forms
How frizz is actually used
As a verb, frizz can be transitive (to frizz one's hair) or intransitive (her hair frizzes in damp weather); the adjective 'frizzy' is often preferred when describing hair, so the bare verb form appears most naturally when describing an action or process.
Easily confused with frizz
A frieze is a broad horizontal band of sculpture or decoration on a wall, or a coarse woolen fabric — unrelated to the tight curling of hair that frizz describes.