icy

Compared meaning: covered with or turned into ice (adjective).

比较义项：结冰的，冻住的（形容词）。

• frozen

  Describes something that has turned solid with ice all the way through, or is extremely cold; often used for lakes, ground, or food.

  指某物完全冻硬、冻透，或极其寒冷；常用于湖泊、土地或食物。

  By January the pond was frozen solid enough to walk on.

  到了一月，池塘冻得结结实实，人可以在上面走。

• icy 本词

  Describes a surface with a thin layer of ice on it, especially one that is slippery or dangerous; commonly used for roads, steps, or sidewalks.

  指表面覆盖了一层冰，尤指湿滑危险的表面；常用于道路、台阶或人行道。

  Be careful on the steps this morning — they're icy.

  今天早上小心台阶——上面结冰了，很滑。

Frozen and icy both describe things made cold by ice. Frozen means solid with ice all through, or very cold, used for lakes or food. Icy means only the surface has a thin, slippery layer of ice, as on roads or steps.

两词都可以形容因寒冷而结冰的事物，但 frozen 强调整体已经冻硬、冻透，可以指湖面、食物等完全变成冰或极冷的状态；icy 只强调表面结了一层冰，常用来形容路面、台阶等湿滑危险的情况。此处不比较 frozen 表示“（态度）冷漠的”这一义项。

Compared meaning: unfriendly, showing no warmth (adjective).

比较义项：冷淡的（形容词）。

• cold

  The plain, neutral word for an unfriendly manner; can describe a look, reply, or welcome, and is far more common than icy or frozen in everyday speech.

  这是表示态度冷淡最普通、最中性的词，可以形容眼神、回答或接待方式，在日常口语中比 icy 和 frozen 都常见得多。

  She gave him a cold nod and walked past without saying hello.

  她冷淡地朝他点了点头，径直从他身边走过，都没有打招呼。

• icy 本词

  Stronger than cold; suggests a sudden, sharp hostility, often in a stare, tone, or silence, as if the person deliberately wants to seem hostile.

  语气比 cold 更强，暗示突然而尖锐的敌意，常用于形容眼神、语气或沉默，仿佛这个人是故意表现得充满敌意。

  His icy silence after the argument told her exactly how angry he was.

  吵架过后，他冷冷的沉默清楚地说明他有多生气。

• frozen

  The strongest of the three; suggests total absence of emotion or reaction, as if the person's face or feelings cannot move at all.

  三者中程度最深，暗示完全没有情感反应，仿佛这个人的表情或感情完全无法有任何变化。

  Her smile stayed frozen the whole time, and she said nothing warm to him.

  她的笑容一直僵住，全程没有对他说一句温暖的话。

Cold, icy, and frozen can all describe an unfriendly manner, but differ in strength. Cold is the plain, neutral word for an unfriendly look or reply. Icy is stronger, suggesting sharp, deliberate hostility. Frozen is strongest, meaning a total absence of emotion or reaction.

这三个词在“冷淡的”这一义项上意思相近，但语气强弱不同：cold 最基础、最中性，icy 语气更强，带有明显的敌意，frozen 程度最深，形容完全没有感情反应。这里不比较 cold 的“寒冷的”、icy 的“结冰的”和 frozen 的“冰冻的，冰冷的”等其他义项。