# freeze up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/freeze-up
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. computing/software

phrasal verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

when a computer or app stops responding and you cannot move the mouse or type.

For teachers: to experience a sudden suspension of operation in software or hardware, rendering the interface unresponsive to user input.

- My laptop started to freeze up every time I tried to open the video editor.
- The system tended to freeze up whenever the processor was tasked with rendering high-resolution graphics without sufficient cooling.

Usage: Intransitive in this sense; the computer is the subject.

### 2. people/nerves

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to suddenly become unable to speak or act because you are very nervous or scared.

For teachers: to become temporarily incapable of action or speech due to intense anxiety, stage fright, or shock.

- I knew all the answers, but I started to freeze up as soon as the exam began.
- Despite his extensive preparation, the young actor began to freeze up the moment he stepped into the spotlight and saw the expectant audience.

### 3. mechanical/ice

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to stop working because parts are stuck together, often due to ice or rust.

For teachers: to become immobile or non-functional due to the formation of ice or the seizing of mechanical components.

- The water pipes might freeze up if we don't leave the heating on during the winter.
- Engineers warned that the external sensors could freeze up in sub-zero temperatures, potentially providing the cockpit with inaccurate altitude readings.

### 4. social behaviour

phrasal verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to suddenly become very cold, quiet, or unfriendly in a conversation.

For teachers: to adopt a cold, formal, or distant demeanour in a social interaction, typically as a defensive reaction.

- She used to be very friendly, but she started to freeze up whenever I mentioned her old job.
- The witness began to freeze up under cross-examination, providing only terse, one-word answers to the prosecutor's increasingly aggressive questions.

## Examples

- I always freeze up when I have to speak in public.
- The actor was doing great until he saw the famous director in the audience and completely froze up.
- The application tends to freeze up whenever the user attempts to render high-resolution video files without sufficient memory.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: contrast with 'lock up' for machines or 'panic' for people; 'freeze up' specifically emphasizes the lack of movement or the inability to continue a process.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.