Gelid

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɛl.ɪd/

Definitions

1. Extremely cold and icy in temperature or manner, often suggesting a penetrating chill or unfriendly demeanor
2. Characterized by intense freezing cold that penetrates deeply and creates an atmosphere of bitter chill or emotional coldness
3. Intensely frigid in temperature or demeanor, producing a sharp, penetrating coldness that affects both body and spirit

Etymology: Gelid entered English in the 1630s, a deliberate borrowing of the Latin adjective "gelidus," meaning "cold" or "icy." That Latin word grew from "gelu," "frost," a noun that also sits behind "gelatus," the source of English "gelatinous" in the sense of something that has set into a jelly-like cold mass. The English speakers who adopted it were reaching back to classical Latin for a word that sounded more formal and sharper than the plain "cold." The Latin root traces back to the Proto-Indo-European *gel-, a root for cold and ice that also gave rise to words across other Indo-European branches. Latin turned it into a family of related forms, with the suffix "-idus" producing an adjective of quality, so "gelidus" describes something that has the nature of frost. English simply took the finished adjective whole, without changing its sense.

Synonyms: icy, frigid, chilly

Antonyms: warm, hot