Jäätävä

Jäätävä is a Finnish adjective meaning ice-cold or freezing. It describes weather, objects, or surfaces that are extremely cold, as well as figurative situations or emotions that feel harsh or intense. The word conveys stronger intensity than plain kylmä and is often used in descriptive or literary contexts.

The term derives from the noun jää, meaning ice, with a derivational suffix that forms adjectives indicating a quality related to ice or extreme cold.

Common usages include jäätävä pakkanen for very cold weather and jäätävä hiljaisuus for a stifling or chilling silence. Figuratively, it is used to describe strong negative outcomes, for example jäätävä pettymys (devastating disappointment) or jäätävä ilmapiiri (an icy atmosphere). The phrase is widely understood in standard Finnish and is more emphatic than simply kylmä.