frigidity

/frɪˈdʒɪdəti/ (bre, ipa) · /frɪˈdʒɪdəti/ (ame, ipa) · /fri-ˈji-də-tē/ (ame, mw)

frigidity — 名詞

1. an unfriendly, distant way of treating other people that shows no warmth or kind

1.名詞C1
釋義

冷淡；冷漠

對人疏遠不友善的態度

an unfriendly, distant way of treating other people that shows no warmth or kind feeling

例句

Noa was hurt by the sudden frigidity of her old college friend at the reunion.

Noa 在同學會上被老朋友突然的冷淡傷到了。

frigidity of [person] for unfriendly behaviour

The new manager greeted the team with a frigidity that made everyone nervous.

新主管以一種冷漠的態度問候團隊，讓大家都很緊張。

subject is a person showing cold treatment

同義詞
  • coldness

    more common, everyday word for the same idea

  • aloofness

    stresses keeping distance from others rather than being unkind

  • iciness

    stronger, more hostile feeling than frigidity

反義詞
  • warmth

    the everyday opposite — friendly, kind feeling

  • friendliness

    open, welcoming behaviour toward others

文法句型

frigidity of [someone]

with frigidity

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person or their behaviour, not a thing. Often paired with prepositions 'of', 'in', or 'between' to name who or what is being cold.

常見錯誤

❌The frigidity of the soup was unpleasant.
✅The coldness of the soup was unpleasant.
💡'frigidity' refers to unfriendly behaviour, not the temperature of an object.

2. a long-term inability, usually discussed in women, to feel sexual desire or plea

2.名詞C2
釋義

性冷感

長期缺乏性慾或性快感的狀態

a long-term inability, usually discussed in women, to feel sexual desire or pleasure during physical relations with a partner

例句

The therapist explained that frigidity is often caused by stress, past trauma, or hormone changes.

治療師解釋，性冷感常常是由壓力、過去創傷或荷爾蒙變化所引起的。

clinical discussion of causes

Yuna had read several articles about frigidity before deciding to speak with her doctor.

Yuna 看了好幾篇關於性冷感的文章，才決定去找醫師談。

subject seeks medical advice about frigidity

同義詞
  • anorgasmia

    specific medical term for inability to reach orgasm; narrower than frigidity

  • sexual dysfunction

    broader modern term covering several related conditions

文法句型

frigidity in [someone]

用法筆記

Now considered an outdated and often biased clinical term; modern medical writing prefers specific terms such as 'low sexual desire' or 'sexual arousal disorder'. Distinguish from sense 1 by the medical or psychological context — sense 2 only appears in health, therapy, or research discussions.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor told him he had frigidity.
✅The doctor diagnosed her with low sexual desire.
💡frigidity is mostly used for women and is now seen as outdated; prefer modern clinical terms.

3. the quality of being very low in temperature, used about places, air, or weather

3.名詞C1
釋義

嚴寒；酷寒

氣候、空氣或水的極低溫狀態

the quality of being very low in temperature, used about places, air, or weather conditions

例句

Ezra was unprepared for the frigidity of the air on the mountain summit.

Ezra 對山頂上空氣的嚴寒毫無準備。

frigidity of [place/air] noun phrase

The frigidity of the lake water made swimming impossible even in late spring.

湖水的酷寒讓人連晚春時節都無法下水游泳。

frigidity of [body of water]

同義詞
  • coldness

    much more common word; covers everyday and extreme temperatures

  • iciness

    suggests temperature low enough to form ice

  • chill

    weaker — a noticeable but not extreme drop in temperature

反義詞
  • warmth

    the everyday opposite — pleasant or moderate temperature

  • heat

    stronger opposite — high or uncomfortable temperature

文法句型

frigidity of [place/air/water]

用法筆記

Used in formal or literary writing about temperature; in everyday speech 'coldness' or 'freezing temperature' is far more common. Distinguish from sense 1 by the subject — sense 3 is about places, air, or water, never about people.

常見錯誤

❌I drank the frigidity of the milk.
✅I drank the cold milk.
💡frigidity describes whole environments or large bodies of water, not the temperature of small items like food or drinks.