frozen up
Stuck from cold
Frozen up describes something that has become immobilized or stuck, whether literally from cold or figuratively from fear, anxiety, or technical failure.
A pipe freezes up in winter.
A person freezes up during a job interview, unable to speak.
A computer freezes up when it stops responding.
The adverb stiff intensifies the literal sense: frozen up stiff.
- defrostRemove ice accumulation
- stage frightFear of performing publicly
- deer in headlightsParalyzed by sudden shock
- cold feetPre-event loss of confidence
- iceWater's solid form
locked · locked up · seized up · malfunction · fear · crash · tongue-tied · lost for words · drawing a blank · blanked out · anxiety · overwhelm · petrification · breakdown · unresponsive · hesitation · jammed · stalled
frozen upfreed up
Made accessible again
responsive · loosened · working · operational · functioning
frozen, freeze, froze, freezing, freezer, frost, frosty, frostily, frostiness