# fridge

/ˈfɹɪdʒ/ (US) · /fɹˈɪdʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fridge
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. kitchen appliance

noun · CEFR A2 · Informal

a large piece of kitchen equipment that keeps food and drinks cold so they stay fresh.

For teachers: an appliance or cabinet which is cooled artificially and used to store food and drink at low temperatures.

- Don't forget to put the milk back in the fridge so it doesn't go bad.
- The modern smart fridge can monitor its own internal temperature and alert the owner via a smartphone app if the door is left ajar.

### 2. to chill food

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to put food or drink into a refrigerator to make it cold.

For teachers: to place items inside a refrigerator for the purpose of cooling or preservation.

- You should fridge the dessert for at least an hour before you serve it.
- The recipe suggests that you fridge the dough overnight to allow the gluten to relax and the flavours to develop fully.

### 3. narrative trope

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang

to kill or hurt a character in a story just to make the main character angry or sad.

For teachers: to harm or kill a secondary character, typically female, solely to provide a motivational catalyst for a primary character, typically male.

- Fans complained when the writers decided to fridge the hero's girlfriend just to start a revenge plot.
- Critics often point to that specific episode as a classic example of the tendency to fridge female characters to advance a male protagonist's emotional arc.

Usage: This term is used in literary and film criticism to describe lazy or sexist writing.

Teaching tip: This is a modern term from internet culture and media criticism; it comes from a specific comic book where a character was found in a refrigerator.

## Examples

- Please put the milk back in the fridge.
- I need to go to the supermarket because there is almost nothing left in the fridge.
- Modern energy-efficient fridges use significantly less electricity than older models, helping to reduce both household utility bills and the overall carbon footprint of a kitchen.

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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.