Frosty

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈfɹɒsti/

Definitions

1. Covered with a thin layer of ice crystals formed by freezing moisture ; exhibiting a cold or unfriendly demeanor in behavior or speech
2. Having a surface as if dusted with frozen dew ; showing a chilling or unwelcoming manner toward others
3. Appearing coated with frost, as on plants or windows ; behaving in a distant and impersonal way, lacking warmth

Etymology: "Frosty" is about as transparent as English gets: it is the noun "frost" with the suffix "-y" added, meaning "having frost." The adjective came into Middle English as "frosty" and "forsty," and its ancestor in Old English was "forstig" or "fyrstig," which carried the same sense of being touched by frost. The word's deeper roots run through the Germanic languages. Its ancestor in Proto-West Germanic was "frostag," with a variant "frustig," and the same adjective survives across the family today: Dutch "vorstig," German "frostig," Swedish "frostig," and West Frisian "froastich." That shared pattern shows how old the word is, since speakers of these languages all independently kept the same recipe of noun plus adjective-forming ending.

Synonyms: cold, icy, chilly, wintry, frigid

Antonyms: warm, hot, tropical, mild, temperate