Right now, we are going through the height of winter, which may not be your favorite season of the year but for which there is a multitude of vocabulary words to describe it. There are numerous descriptive vocabulary words to highlight the number of weather conditions you are likely to experience at some point during the winter season. Grab a hot cup of cocoa, pull up a notepad, and get ready to study this comprehensive list of vocabulary words dealing with the winter. It may be cold out so now is a good time to focus on this aspect of improving your English vocabulary knowledge!
Adjectives
Frigid – very, very cold in temperature.
“Monica looked at the forecast for today and noticed the frigid temperature of 10 degrees below zero.”
Freezing – extremely cold; usually below 0 degrees Fahrenheit / Celsius.
“Because Bob forgot to leave on the heat while him and his wife were on vacation in the Caribbean, they came back to a freezing home.”
Blustery – strong winds that occur over a period of time, sometimes unexpectedly.
“Not only was it flurrying out but there were blustery winds coming in from the Northeast to make visibility a lot more difficult.”
Chilly – uncomfortably cool or cold; difficult to be outside in.
“The temperature dropped 10 degrees over the course of the day making it rather chilly to be outdoors.”
Icy – Something covered in ice, usually an object or a place.
“The icy conditions on the road made it impossible to drive a car on so it is best to stay home instead.”
Wet – covered or saturated with water or another kind of liquid.
“Because the snow melted earlier, the streets were wet with leftover condensation.”
Frosty – very cold with frost, like snow, forming on surfaces.
“Jack’s car was quite frosty because he had left it out in the driveway overnight instead of in the garage where it would be warmer.”
Bitter – experiencing uncomfortable weather conditions; causing discomfort due to the cold. “The air was frigid making it bitter to be outside in such conditions.
Slippery – weather conditions that make it difficult to walk without falling or tripping.
“Because of the mixture of rain and snow, the sleet made it slippery for people to walk on the sidewalks.”
Drafty – Currents of cold air coming in through a window.
“When you leave a door or a window open, it creates swirls of wind making it quite drafty and uncomfortable in the house.”
Slushy – When snow and rain mix, usually through outside factors creating the clusters of sleet.
“Because the plows and cars had driven through the area, they mixed the snow and the water together to make it slushy.”
Dreary – cloudy, gloomy, and otherwise unpleasant weather to be in.
“Because it had snowed or rained for two weeks straight, the winter weather had been unbearably dreary.”
Expressions
-It’s raining.
-It’s freezing.
-It’s snowing.
-It’s icy.
-It’s flurrying.
-There’s sleet on the ground.
-It’s pouring out.
-It’s really coming down.
-Snowfall is heavy.
-There will be whiteout conditions.
-There is a winter advisory.
-Please stay indoors.
-Beware of frostbite.
-Drive slowly and safely.
-Use precautions when walking.
Types of Winter Weather
-Nor-Easter
-Snowstorm
-Ice storm
-Thunder snow
-Ice storm
-Downpour
-Torrential rain.
-Hail
-Sleet
Winter Activities
-Building a snowman
-Sledding
-Skiing
-Ice skating (Figure skating)
-Ice fishing
-Teatime
-Snowboarding
-Archery
-Hockey
-Basketball (Indoors)
-Snowball fights
-Fireplace time
Winter Tools
-Shovel
-Plow
-Snow brush
-Snow blower
-Ice scraper
-Ice melt
-Hand warmers
-First aid kit
Winter Clothing
-Scarf
-Hat
-Gloves
-Jacket
-Socks (Wool)
-Pajamas
-Sweater
-Sweatshirt
-Coat
-Raincoat
-Earmuffs
-Undershirt
-Legwarmer
-Handwarmer
-Sweatpants
-Boots
-Vest
Adverbs
-Coldly
-Chillingly
-Coolly
-Icily
-Glacially
-Frigidly
-Bitterly
-Bitingly
-Piercingly
-Sharply
-Snowily
-Darkly
Verbs
-to freeze
-to ski
-to skate
-to
-to melt
-to get warm
-to be cold
-to snow
-to rain
-to sleet
-to sled
-to slip
-to fall
-to throw a snowball
-to drink hot chocolate
-to hibernate
-to build a snowman
-to catch a cold
-to wrap up
-to bundle up
-to put on layers
-to make a fire
-to storm
Even with this exhaustive vocabulary list, it is possible I may have missed out on a few words, sentences, or general examples of wintertime being described in English. However, I think you now as the English student have a good base of knowledge for knowing what winter is, what makes up the activities / sports in winter, and how do we describe weather events that occur mainly in winter.
While you are waiting for the snow to melt and the weather to warm up, take this time of the year (only three months in total) to learn, practice, and use this vocabulary above for it will come in handy. Whether you hope to help a friend by shoveling the snow out of their sidewalk, planning a trip to go ice skating with family, or would like to describe what the weather is like to someone who asks you a question, your newfound winter vocabulary knowledge will serve you well in several ways. Make sure to practice these words, expressions, and sentence examples and you’ll master this seasonal vocabulary in no time.