Table of contents
1. What is the weather?
2. How to ask about the weather?
What to say when people ask about the weather?
3. How to start a small talk?
4. Seasons vocabulary
Winter
Summer
Autumn
Spring
In this weather vocabulary lesson, you’ll learn useful words and phrases to describe different conditions of the day in everyday conversations.
1. What is the weather?
The weather is the state of the atmosphere over a short period of time. Many meteorological parameters are used to describe it. These include temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure.
2. How to ask about the weather?
- What's the weather like?
- What's the weather like today / tomorrow?
- What's the forecast for tomorrow?
- Do you know if it’s going to rain later?
- Is the weather going to be nice this weekend?
- What's the weather like in London?
What to say when people ask about the weather?
We use the It’s + adjective structure to talk about the weather in English. This can be used to describe how the weather feels and answer the questions mentioned in the previous section.
It's partly cloudy.
It's rainy.
It's sunny.
It's cloudy.
It's stormy.
It's windy.
It's hot.
It's snowy.
It's cold.
3. How to start a small talk?
Weather is one of the most common small talk topics, particularly in British culture. It’s often used to start a conversation with someone you don’t know well or when meeting someone for the first time. Here are some common phrases you can use to initiate a small talk.
- It's a nice day, isn't it?
- It's too hot today.
- What a beautiful day today!
- It's a lovely day today.
- Are you going to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather today?
- It's a perfect day for swimming.
- It's nice and warm today.
- What terrible weather we have today!
- It's so foggy today.
- It's freezing.
- It's so cold.
- It looks like it's going to rain.
Example conversation:
- Andy: It's freezing today.
- Bryan: It is, yeah. I'm glad I brought my jacket.
- Andy: Lucky you. I should've checked the forecast before going out.
- Bryan: I usually do, especially this time of the year. Autumn and winter can be unpredictable.
- Andy: Honestly, I can’t wait for summer. I’ve had enough of this cold weather.
- Bryan: Have you planned anything for the summer holidays?
- Andy: I'm hoping to spend three weeks in Cape Town. I want to learn how to surf.
- Bryan: That sounds amazing! Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
- Andy: Have you ever been there?
- Bryan: No, not yet. But it's definitely on my bucket list. I read about it in a travel book once. Are you thinking of hiking Table Mountain?
- Andy: Definitely. It’s on my to-do list. What about you? Any plans for the summer?
- Bryan: Not yet. I’ve got a few ideas, but I haven’t really decided.
4. Seasons vocabulary
Winter
cold having a low temperature. I forgot my jacket. I feel so cold.
freezing extremely cold. It's freezing. Let's turn on the heater.
bitter extremely cold weather that likely causes physical harm. Put on your coat. It's bitter outside.
frosty covered with a thin layer of ice crystals (frost). I like the beautiful white winter scenery when it's frosty.
It's frosty.
snowy covered with snow. It has been a snowy day. We need to buy a snowblower to clear up the driveway.
misty when the air is covered by the suspension of water droplets (mist), which restricts visibility to about 1 km or beyond. The misty weather hampered the soldiers' pursuit of the enemy.
foggy when the air is covered by the suspension of water droplets (fog), which restricts visibility to less than 1 km. Fog is much denser than mist. Please drive slowly. It's so foggy.
It's foggy.
cloudy covered with clouds. It's cloudy this morning, and it's probably gonna rain in the afternoon.
Summer
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sunny | Full of sunlight | We shot the clip at the Nosy Iranja beach in Madagascar on a beautiful sunny day. |
| warm | A moderate degree of heat at which the human body is still comfortable | People like to spend time outside when the weather is nice and warm. |
| hot | A high degree of heat at which the human body starts to feel uncomfortable | Hot weather is prevalent in equatorial regions. |
| boiling | Extremely hot and uncomfortable | It's boiling in here. Don't you have an air conditioner? |
| scorching | Another word to describe extremely hot weather | It's scorching in here. Can we open the window? |
| sweltering | Characterizes the weather when there is too much heat | It's always sweltering in summer here. |
| torrid | Uncomfortably hot and dry | I couldn't stand the torrid heat of summer in Granada. |
| muggy | Unpleasantly warm and humid | Some spores germinate more rapidly in muggy weather conditions. |
Autumn
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| temperate | At a moderate temperature, neither too hot nor too cold | In October, the weather in Oakland is usually temperate. |
| chilly | Cold and causing discomfort | It's a bit chilly in here. I'm going to make a fire to keep us warm. |
| cosy / cozy | Pleasant, comfortable (British / American spelling) | I miss the Canary Islands. The beach is so beautiful, and the weather is cosy. |
| crisp | Cool, dry weather that is refreshing and invigorating | The air was crisp and cool as I stepped outside on the first day of autumn, and I could see my breath in the morning frost. |
| blustery | Characterised by strong, gusty winds | I had to hold onto my hat as I walked to work this morning because the blustery winds were so strong they nearly knocked me over. |
| bright | Characterised by strong, direct sunlight | The weather was so bright and sunny today that I couldn't resist going for a hike in the mountains. |
| clear | Linked with good visibility and a lack of clouds | I really enjoyed my flight yesterday. The weather was clear, and the views from the aeroplane window were breathtaking. |
| overcast | Refers to a cloudy sky with little or no direct sunlight visible | I had planned to spend the afternoon at the beach but changed my mind due to the overcast weather. The grey, cloudy sky and cooler temperatures made it less appealing to go outside. |
Spring
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mild | Relatively warm and comfortable temperatures, usually between 10–21°C | The forecast for tomorrow calls for mild temperatures and mostly sunny skies, so it should be a great day for outdoor activities. |
| fresh | Clean, crisp, and energising; often with cool air and a light breeze | I love waking up to fresh, dewy mornings in the spring when the air is filled with the sounds of birds chirping and the smell of flowers blooming. |
| breezy | Characterised by a light wind or gentle breeze | I sat on the porch swing, enjoying the cool evening air and the pleasant breeze as the sun set over the horizon. |
| wet | When there is precipitation like rain, snow, sleet, or hail | The tears that I shed mixed with the raindrops on my cheeks, adding to the already dreary, wet atmosphere that evening. |
| damp | Refers to high humidity, often with mist or fog | The weather was damp, seeping into your bones and making you feel cold and alone. The sky was overcast, and the clouds were heavy with the threat of rain. |
| gusty | Sudden, temporary increases in wind speed | A truck driver died in a car accident yesterday. The accident happened when a strong gust of wind caught the truck by surprise, causing it to lose control and crash on the side of the road. |
| stormy | Windy, rainy, and possibly snowy or icy, often with thunder and lightning | It was a stormy night, with strong winds and heavy rain battering against the windows. |
| showery | Characterised by light rains that last for a short time | It's a sunny day today. It was mostly showery last week. |
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