frigidity

noun

"frigidity" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frigidity” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being frigid; coldness; lack of heat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-frigidity · frigidity · English

frigidity · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for frigidity
PropertyValue
Headwordfrigidity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “frigidity” in English

frigidityranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

frigidity is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for frigidity in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English frigiditee, frigidite, a borrowing from Middle French frigidité, itself a borrowing from Latin frīgiditātem, accusative of Latin frīgiditās. The correct English form is frigidity, spelled F-R-I-G-I-D-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being frigid; coldness; lack of heat.
  2. 2
    Coldness of feeling, manner or quality; lack of ardor, animation or vivacity.
  3. 3
    Lack of natural heat and vigor of body; impotency.
  4. 4
    Lack of or low sex drive; a persistent inability to become aroused or achieve sexual satisfaction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how frigidity appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.
  2. In France, Mme. de Pompadour was induced by Louis XV to eat such testicles in order to break down her frigidity.

Etymology

From Middle English frigiditee, frigidite, a borrowing from Middle French frigidité, itself a borrowing from Latin frīgiditātem, accusative of Latin frīgiditās.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "frigidity"?
"frigidity" is spelled F-R-I-G-I-D-I-T-Y.
What does "frigidity" mean?
As a noun, "frigidity" means: The state of being frigid; coldness; lack of heat.
What is the origin of the word "frigidity"?
From Middle English frigiditee, frigidite, a borrowing from Middle French frigidité, itself a borrowing from Latin frīgiditātem, accusative of Latin frīgiditās. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list