liquefy

IPA/ˈlɪkwɪfaɪ/
KK[lˈɪkwəfˌaɪ]IPA/ˈlɪkwɪfaɪ/

liquefy — verb

  • liquefypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • liquefieshe / she / it
  • liquefiedpast simple
  • liquefying-ing form

1. to turn a gas or a solid substance into a liquid, or to become liquid — for exam

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to turn a gas or a solid substance into a liquid, or to become liquid — for example, when natural gas is cooled to extreme temperatures or when a metal is heated until it flows

Example

Takuya watched the ice cubes liquefy in his glass of warm tea.

intransitive: solid substance becomes liquid without external agent

The factory liquefies natural gas by cooling it to minus 162 degrees Celsius.

transitive: [company] liquefies [substance] by [method]

Common collocations
  • liquefy natural gas
  • liquefy air
  • liquefy rock
  • liquefy metal
  • butter liquefies
  • wax liquefies
Synonyms
  • melt

    everyday term for solids becoming liquid by heat; less technical than liquefy

  • dissolve

    a solid disperses into a liquid (sugar in water); different process from liquefy

  • thaw

    specifically for ice or frozen food returning to normal temperature

Antonyms
  • solidify

    change from liquid to solid

  • freeze

    turn liquid into solid by cooling

Grammar Patterns

liquefy + noun (cause to become liquid)

noun + liquefies (becomes liquid)

Usage Note

Both transitive and intransitive patterns are common. The subject or object is typically a substance that can move between solid, liquid, and gas states. This sense is more technical and formal than 'melt'; in everyday speech, 'melt' is preferred for ice and butter.

Common Mistakes

The butter liquefied quickly on the warm toast.
The butter melted quickly on the warm toast.
'liquefy' is technically correct for food items like butter, ice, or honey, but 'melt' is the ordinary everyday word. Using 'liquefy' for food in casual conversation sounds overly technical or unnatural.

2. to sell financial assets such as property, shares, or savings so that they becom

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to sell financial assets such as property, shares, or savings so that they become cash or easily tradeable form

Example

Vikram had to liquefy some of his investments to cover the unexpected medical bills.

transitive: liquefy + [financial asset] to [purpose]

The company plans to liquefy its property holdings and use the cash for overseas expansion.

Common collocations
  • liquefy assets
  • liquefy investments
  • liquefy savings
  • liquefy property holdings
Synonyms
  • sell

    everyday term; less formal and broader in application

  • cash in

    informal; specifically converting an asset to cash

  • convert

    general; broader meaning of changing one form to another

Antonyms
  • invest

    use money to buy assets rather than the reverse

  • hold

    keep an asset rather than selling it

Grammar Patterns

liquefy + financial asset

Usage Note

Almost always transitive. The direct object is a financial asset such as property, stocks, or savings. This belongs to formal financial terminology; in everyday speech, 'sell' or 'cash in' is far more common.

Common Mistakes

I liquefied my old car to get some money.
I sold my old car to get some money.
'liquefy' is used for financial assets (shares, property, savings), not for physical objects like cars. Use 'sell' for physical items.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe a substance changing from a solid to a less solid state, but they differ in what causes the change and what kind of substance is involved. 'Melt' is the everyday word for a solid becoming liquid when heated (ice melts on a warm day). 'Dissolve' means a solid breaks apart and mixes into a liquid on a molecular level (salt dissolves in water). 'Thaw' is specifically for ice or frozen food returning to its original unfrozen state (leave chicken to thaw before cooking). 'Liquefy' is the most technical of the four; it can apply to gases turning into liquids (natural gas is liquefied for transport) as well as solids, and often describes industrial or extreme conditions. In daily conversation, use 'melt'; in financial or industrial contexts, use 'liquefy'.

melt ↗dissolve ↗thaw ↗liquefy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • liquefy into
  • liquefy by cooling
  • liquefy by heating

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'liquefy' comes from Latin 'liquefacere', which joined 'liquere' (to be liquid) and 'facere' (to make or do). It entered English through Middle French and has been used since the 15th century. The financial sense of turning assets into cash emerged in the mid-20th century, modelled on the physical sense of making something flow.