sub-zero
Americanadjective
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indicating or recording lower than zero on some scale, especially on the Fahrenheit scale.
a week of sub-zero temperatures.
-
characterized by or appropriate for sub-zero temperatures.
sub-zero climates; sub-zero clothing for the exploration.
Etymology
Origin of sub-zero
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, a sub-zero start to the day is also expected in many other areas including central and northern England, north Wales and Northern Ireland.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
The spokesman also told AFP that most of the casualties were caused by roof collapses and avalanches, while many also died from frostbite in sub-zero temperatures.
From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026
That strike, at dawn on January 9, left half the capital without heating and many residents without electricity for days in sub-zero temperatures.
From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026
The CEO of energy company Yasno said the whole city had gone into "emergency shutdowns" as a result, while emergency workers sought to put out fires and reconnect supplies in sub-zero temperatures.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
He was behind his curtain now, looking down at himself freezing under the impact of water in sub-zero winds.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
