gélido
Lemma Details
Translation: icy; freezing; frigid; gelid
Part of Speech: adjective
Etymology: From Latin 'gelidus' meaning 'icy, frosty, very cold', which derives from 'gelu' meaning 'frost, ice, intense cold'. The English cognate 'gelid' comes from the same Latin root, though it's less commonly used than 'icy' or 'freezing'. The root 'gel-' is also found in words like 'gelatin' and 'congeal', referring to substances that solidify or freeze.
Commonality: 40%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El viento gélido cortaba como un cuchillo.
The icy wind cut like a knife.
Me dio una mirada gélida cuando llegué tarde.
She gave me an icy stare when I arrived late.
Las aguas gélidas del océano Ártico.
The frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Hubo un silencio gélido después de su comentario.
There was an icy silence after his comment.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'gel' in English, which can be cold to the touch, to remember 'gélido' means 'icy' or 'freezing'.
- Associate with 'gelatin' which needs to be refrigerated to solidify.
- The accent mark in 'gélido' looks like an icicle hanging from the letter 'e'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
While 'gélido' is used literally to describe extremely cold temperatures, it's also commonly used figuratively to describe cold emotional states or unfriendly social interactions, similar to how 'icy' or 'frigid' are used metaphorically in English.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While both mean 'icy' or 'very cold', 'helado' specifically means 'frozen' or 'ice cream' as a noun, whereas 'gélido' refers to extreme coldness without necessarily implying freezing.
Notes: 'Helado' is more commonly used in everyday speech, while 'gélido' often appears in more literary or formal contexts.
Mnemonic: 'Helado' has 'hel-' like 'hielo' (ice), while 'gélido' has 'gel-' like 'gelatin' (cold but not necessarily frozen solid).
Explanation: These words look similar but have opposite meanings - 'gélido' means 'icy/freezing' while 'cálido' means 'warm'.
Notes: The similarity in spelling but opposition in meaning makes these words particularly important to distinguish.
Mnemonic: Notice the accent marks: 'gélido' (accent on first 'e') is cold like ice, while 'cálido' (accent on 'a') is warm like California.