1 B2 idiomatic informal
To deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly in a social situation to make them feel excluded.
"After the argument, the whole group started freezing her out at lunch."
separable
freeze out
B2 informal separable transitive
To deliberately exclude or ignore someone in order to make them feel unwanted or to force them out.
In plain English
To be cold and unfriendly to someone on purpose so they feel left out or go away.
What does "freeze out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic neutral
To force a competitor or rival out of a market, business, or position through strategic pressure.
"The large supermarket chain froze out smaller local grocers by cutting prices drastically."
separable
3 B1 informal
To make a place extremely cold, to the point of discomfort.
"They froze us out with the air conditioning in that conference room."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To force something out by freezing — as one might freeze pests out of a space.
Actually means
To be cold and unfriendly to someone on purpose so they feel left out or go away.
Usage tip
Commonly used in workplace, social, and political contexts. Carries a tone of deliberate cruelty or strategic exclusion. Used in both British and American English.
Words that pair with "freeze out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
competitor colleague rival member partner market
How to conjugate "freeze out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
freeze out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
freezes out
he/she/it
Past simple
freezed out
yesterday
Past participle
freezed out
have + pp
-ing form
freezing out
continuous
Hear "freeze out" in the wild
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