1 B2 idiomatic informal
To deliberately exclude or give someone the cold shoulder, especially in a social setting.
"After the argument, her friends started icing her out of all their plans."
separable
ice out
B2 informal separable transitive
To deliberately ignore or exclude someone from a social group or conversation as a form of rejection or punishment.
In plain English
To ignore someone on purpose to make them feel left out.
What does "ice out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To exclude someone from a business deal or professional opportunity.
"The senior partners iced him out of the negotiations without explanation."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To put someone 'on ice' — the cold of ice suggests emotional coldness and rejection.
Actually means
To ignore someone on purpose to make them feel left out.
Usage tip
Common in social and workplace contexts. Particularly frequent among younger speakers and in discussions of social dynamics, bullying, or relationship conflicts. Chiefly American English.
Words that pair with "ice out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
friend colleague teammate group partner member
How to conjugate "ice out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ice out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ices out
he/she/it
Past simple
iced out
yesterday
Past participle
iced out
have + pp
-ing form
icing out
continuous
Hear "ice out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "ice out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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