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On ice

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

On ice|Idiomatic Phrase|Put aside, delayed, or suspended temporarily; indicates that plans, projects, or decisions are paused and not currently being actively pursued or finalized.

Detailed Definition
On ice means postponed, suspended, preserved, or held back until a later time. In poetry, the idiom can describe plans, feelings, ambitions, investigations, or relationships kept from movement. Ice suggests coldness, delay, preservation, and emotional distance. A poet may use the phrase for a love not acted upon, a project shelved, or grief frozen until it can be faced. It is useful for exploring what happens when life is paused: does it remain intact, or does the cold change it?
Example
Example in poetry:
A winter poem might place the wedding plans on ice until the roads thaw; In a political satire, reform is kept on ice while speeches grow warm; The phrase on ice means postponed or preserved for later; A poet can use it literally and figuratively at once.
Additional Notes
On ice means postponed, suspended, or kept in reserve. The phrase may also suggest preservation, delay, coldness, or immobilisation. In poetry, it can apply to plans, relationships, grief, ambitions, or political decisions. Students should ask whether ice protects something from decay or prevents it from living. The idiom pairs well with winter, frozen rivers, numbness, waiting, and emotions held back until a thaw.
Also Known As
postponed
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