ice up

IPA/ˈaɪs ˈʌp/
IPA/ˈaɪs ˈʌp/

ice up — phrasal verb

  • ice upbase form
  • ices up3rd person singular
  • icing up-ing form
  • iced uppast simple

1. to develop a coating of ice on an exposed surface, often stopping the object fro

1.phrasal verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to develop a coating of ice on an exposed surface, often stopping the object from working correctly

Example

The car windows iced up overnight, so Hui cleaned them before driving to work.

phrasal verb: intransitive (subject = thing that freezes)

When the temperature dropped below zero, the pipes in Devika's kitchen iced up and burst.

collocation: pipes ice up

Common collocations
  • wings ice up
  • pipes ice up
  • windows ice up
  • windshield ice up
  • lock ice up
  • engine ice up
Synonyms
  • freeze over

    emphasises a surface becoming completely frozen, often used for lakes or rivers rather than mechanical parts

  • ice over

    very similar in meaning and often interchangeable with 'ice up', but slightly less common for mechanical failure contexts

Antonyms
  • melt

    the process of ice turning back to water; the opposite event

  • defrost

    to remove ice from a surface deliberately

Grammar Patterns

something ices up

Usage Note

Intransitive only: the thing that becomes covered in ice is the grammatical subject. Do not use 'ice up' with a direct object (❌ The cold iced up the windshield).

Common Mistakes

The cold weather iced up the car.
The car iced up in the cold weather.
'ice up' is intransitive: the thing that freezes is the subject, not the cause.

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A phrasal verb formed from 'ice' (from Old English īs, a shared Germanic word for frozen water) and 'up' (from Old English up, meaning to a higher position). The combination 'ice up' came into use in the 20th century, first in aviation to describe ice forming on aircraft wings, then spreading to general use for any mechanical or surface icing.