congelar

Senses

1. 1.

   to freeze

   to turn into ice or reduce temperature below freezing point

2. 2.

   to freeze (assets, accounts)

   to immobilize or suspend access to money or resources

3. 3.

   to freeze; to stop dead

   to become immobilized or paralyzed (literally or figuratively)

Examples

• "Vou congelar a carne para poder guardá-la por mais tempo."

  I'm going to freeze the meat so I can keep it longer.

• "O governo congelou os salários dos servidores públicos."

  The government froze civil servants' salaries.

• "Ele congelou de medo quando viu o ladrão."

  He froze in fear when he saw the thief.

Usage

Common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese for food preservation and financial/bureaucratic contexts. In reflexive form (congelar-se) or intransitive, it means "to become frozen" or "to stand frozen." Often used figuratively for sudden, paralyzing fear or shock.