Icy Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms icy American [ahy-see] / ˈaɪ si /

adjective

icier, iciest

1. made of, full of, or covered with ice.

   icy roads.

2. resembling ice.

3. cold.

   icy winds.

4. without warmth of feeling; coldly unfriendly; frigid.

   an icy stare.

   Synonyms: chilly, cool, distant, cold

icy British / ˈaɪsɪ /

adjective

1. made of, covered with, or containing ice

2. resembling ice

3. freezing or very cold

4. cold or reserved in manner; aloof

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of icy

before 900; Middle English isy, Old English īsig. See ice, -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For decades, astronomers have tried to understand why so many icy bodies in the outer solar system resemble snowmen, with two rounded sections joined together.

From Science Daily

The top of the icy Winter Olympics halfpipe is a world away from the Californian climes of Stanford University.

From BBC

However, he is keen that other climbers are aware of the incident and are aware of the risks in climbing a mountain when it is icy.

From BBC

Researchers have been warning in recent years of bird flu's spread on the icy continent, which hosts temporary teams of scientists but no permanent residents.

From Barron's

Her only event is skeleton, in which athletes travel at about 80 mph down an icy mile-long track with 16 turns.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chilly
• cold
• freezing
• frigid
• frosty
• glacial
• polar
• raw

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.