under the weather

Cultural  

1. Indisposed, unwell: “The day after the big party, Jay had to call in sick, saying he was feeling under the weather.”

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under the weather Idioms  

1. Ailing, ill; also, suffering from a hangover. For example, She said she was under the weather and couldn't make it to the meeting. This expression presumably alludes to the influence of the weather on one's health. [Early 1800s] The same term is sometimes used as a euphemism for being drunk, as in After four drinks, Ellen was a bit under the weather.

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Example Sentences

I could tell she was feeling a little under the weather that day but she didn’t ask for any special treatment, and kindly and happily took direction.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

It came after he said he felt "absolutely shocking" and was "under the weather" before his quarter-final win over Rob Cross.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025

I kept an open mind, thinking maybe he really was just under the weather that night but it had opened the floodgates of concerns that had been out there for a while.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2024

The pope has been under the weather for several days.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2024

From some need of his own, Don Bernardo pretended his wife was just under the weather rather than suffering from dementia.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez