English · Phrasal verb Attested

freeze up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To be adversely affected by ice, and not function.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bị ảnh hưởng xấu bởi băng và không hoạt động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

But these precautions lost some of their merit when the L.T. trains themselves became frozen up at depots overnight.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(of machines and software) To come or bring to a sudden halt, stop working (functioning).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dừng hoạt động đột ngột, ngừng làm việc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(of people and other animals) To stop or be stopped due to attentiveness, fear, surprise, etc.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dừng lại do chú ý, sợ hãi, ngạc nhiên, v.v.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

What does “freeze up” mean?

To be adversely affected by ice, and not function.

Is “freeze up” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.