fair-weather

[fair-weth-er]

adjective

1. used in or intended for fair weather only.

2. weakening or failing in time of trouble.

   His fair-weather friends left him when he lost his money.

fair-weather

adjective

1. suitable for use in fair weather only

2. not reliable or present in situations of hardship or difficulty (esp in the phrase fair-weather friend )

Word History and Origins

Origin of fair-weather¹

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

This tectonic shift signals not a new betrayal of queer folk but a reinforcement of the fundamental relationship between Western society and non-hetero life — a hot/cold union of creative thrill-seeking and fair-weather fascination that can best be captured by a single image from Bob Fosse’s 1972 musical film “Cabaret.”

From Salon

Is F1 a fair-weather sport now?

From BBC

But Sunak gamely stuck it out, later commenting that he was "not a fair-weather politician" and confirming he'd be taking an umbrella on the campaign trail.

From BBC

“I don’t know if I’d call her a fair-weather fan, but she doesn’t live and die with the team as I have,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Rhee noted that such privileges have fed into less favorable views of Korean Americans as spoiled opportunists — fair-weather Koreans who had left the country when things were tough only to return now that the going is good.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deceitful 
• dishonest 
• disloyal 
• false 
• irresponsible 
• treacherous 
• unreliable 
• unsafe