verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Verb

1. 1
   To change from a liquid to solid state, perhaps due to cold; called to freeze in nontechnical usage. transitive
2. 2
   become gelatinous wordnet
3. 3
   To coagulate, make curdled or semi-solid such as gel or jelly. transitive
4. 4
   To make rigid or immobile. transitive

   "We must act before opposition to our plans congeals."

5. 5
   To become congealed, solidify. intransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms

jelladhereagglomerateblastblast-freezeblight

Example

More examples

"If you leave it for too long, it will congeal."

Etymology

From Middle English congelen, from Middle French congeler, from Latin congelare, cognate with Portuguese and Spanish congelar.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.