Meaning & use
a frosty
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Meanings
nouncountableAmericantrademark
A thick, sweet, frozen milk drink, especially the one sold by a certain American fast-food chain.
Grammar: Countable, so you can say a frosty or two frosties; it is a trademark name and is often capitalized.
Patterns
- order a frosty
- a chocolate frosty
He ordered a frosty to go with his fries.
We shared a frosty after the game because it was so hot.
The line at the drive-through was long, but the frosties were worth it.
adjectivecomparable
Very cold, or unfriendly and showing no warmth toward someone.
Grammar: Gradable adjective: frostier, frostiest; for weather it describes icy cold, for people it describes a cold manner.
Patterns
- a frosty morning
- be frosty with someone
- a frosty reception
It was a frosty morning, so I scraped the ice off the car.
She gave me a frosty look and walked away.
Relations between the two teams have been frosty since last season.
Word forms
| plural | frosties |
|---|---|
| comparative | frostier |
| superlative | frostiest |
Common combinations
- a frosty reception
- The new plan got a frosty reception from the staff.
- frosty morning
- We set off on a frosty morning in December.
- frosty relationship
- They have had a frosty relationship for years.
- frosty with someone
- He was frosty with me all afternoon.
- order a frosty
- The kids begged to order a frosty at the window.
Synonyms and how they differ
- milkshake
- A milkshake is the general word for any blended cold milk drink, while a frosty usually refers to the specific thick frozen brand.
- chilly
- Chilly describes cool air or a slightly unfriendly manner; frosty is stronger and suggests real iciness.
- icy
- Icy is stronger than frosty for both weather and behavior, often suggesting open hostility.
Opposites
Word family
- frost noun
- A thin white layer of ice that forms on cold surfaces.
- frostily adverb
- In a cold, unfriendly way.
- frostiness noun
- The quality of being cold or unfriendly.
Commonly confused: a frosty or frosting?
a frosty vs frosting
Frosting is the sweet topping on a cake, while a frosty is a frozen drink; the spellings look alike but the meanings are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses "frosty" correctly to describe a person's manner?
Choose one answer.
"Frosty with someone" means cold and unfriendly toward them, which fits the argument context. Option 2 confuses the adjective with the noun drink, and option 4 wrongly uses frosty for feeling warm.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a frosty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.