Meaning & use
icebreaker
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A game, question, or activity that helps people who do not know each other start talking comfortably.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an icebreaker', 'two icebreakers'. Often used after 'as' or in the phrase 'a good icebreaker'.
Patterns
- use something as an icebreaker
- a good icebreaker
- an icebreaker activity
The teacher started the class with a simple icebreaker: everyone had to say their name and one hobby.
At the networking event, they played a quick icebreaker to get people talking.
A funny story can be a great icebreaker when you meet new colleagues.
nouncountabletechnical
A ship with a strong, specially shaped front that can break through ice to open a path for other ships.
Grammar: Countable; usually used when talking about ships in cold regions.
Patterns
- an icebreaker ship
- a nuclear icebreaker
The icebreaker led the way through the frozen sea.
Russia operates several nuclear icebreakers in the Arctic.
Word forms
| plural | icebreakers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a good icebreaker
- Talking about the weather is a good icebreaker.
- use something as an icebreaker
- She used a silly question as an icebreaker.
- an icebreaker activity
- The workshop began with an icebreaker activity.
- play an icebreaker
- We played an icebreaker before the main meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- warm-up
- A warm-up is often an activity to prepare for something (like exercise or a lesson), while an icebreaker specifically helps people relax and talk to each other.
- opener
- An opener is a general word for the first part of a talk or event; an icebreaker is more specifically about helping strangers feel comfortable.
Commonly confused: icebreaker or ice breaker (ship)?
icebreaker vs ice breaker (ship)
The social meaning and the ship meaning are the same word but different senses. Context makes it clear: 'a fun icebreaker' is social; 'a powerful icebreaker' is a ship.
Practice
At the start of the workshop, the leader asked us to share our favorite food as a(n) ______ to help everyone relax.
Choose one answer.
'Icebreaker' fits because it is an activity that helps people start talking. 'Iceberg' is a large piece of ice; 'breakthrough' is an important discovery; 'outbreak' is the sudden start of disease or war.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “icebreaker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.