freeze up
1. To become frozen and icy. I know the lake has frozen up, but I still don't think it's safe for you kids to go skating on it. This ice cream is too soft. Put it back in the freezer and give it more time to freeze up. It's always kind of sad when the lake freezes up, but I know nature will have her rebirth in the springtime.
2. To cause something to become frozen and icy. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "up." The falling temperatures will eventually freeze the pond up, just you wait and see. A: "If you use that opal wand, you can freeze the monsters up." B: "I know, they become blocks of ice!" I entertained the kids with a special ice cube tray that freezes up water into fun shapes.
3. To become tense, scared, and unable to do something. I love to sing, but I freeze up any time I get on stage—when I open my mouth, nothing comes out. Why are people so afraid of public speaking? I've never frozen up in the spotlight before—in fact, I love it! I need to have thorough notes with me, just in case I freeze up while giving a presentation.
4. To stop functioning or working. A: "Ugh, my computer's frozen up." B: "Well, unplug it and see if that helps." Maybe your phone hasn't frozen up. Give it a few minutes and see if that app starts loading. Did the program freeze up? OK, in that case, you'll have to force it to close.
5. To cause something to stop functioning or working. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freeze" and "up." Ugh, that new program keeps freezing my computer up. What keeps freezing my phone up? Could it be the lack of memory? If you sent a massive job to the printer, that could be what froze it up.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
freeze up
1. Lit. [for something] to freeze and stop functioning. The joint froze up and wouldn't move anymore.
2. Fig. [for someone] to become frightened and anxious, and be unable to move, speak, or continue with something. I froze up and couldn't say anything more.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
freeze up
v.1. To become completely frozen: The water in the ice trays hasn't frozen up yet.
2. To cause something to freeze completely: We froze up the water for ice cubes. Freeze the juice up and we'll have some frozen treats!
3. To become fixed in place or unable to move: The lock froze up due to rust. When I noticed that I was being watched, I froze up.
4. To cause something to become fixed in place or unable to move: The subzero temperatures froze up the water pipes. The rust froze the gears up.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.