Guide 201 / 366 5 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “ice”
Five sharper terms when "ice" is too plain.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Ice" is the right word in most contexts. Reach for these when the register is technical (frost, glaze), poetic (rime), or specific (sleet — frozen rain).
ii · The swaps5 ways
- 01Frost neutral
a thin coating from condensation
Frost glittered on the windscreen.
- 02Rime literary
frost from supercooled fog
Rime coated the rigging.
- 03Glaze neutral
a slick clear sheet on roads
A glaze of ice covered the steps.
- 04Sleet neutral
frozen rain pellets
Sleet hammered the windows all night.
- 05Hail neutral
storm-tossed ice balls
Hail dented the bonnet.