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.
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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.
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
They are also without the suspended Lamine Yamal for Wednesday's match, which will take place in sub-zero conditions.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Temperatures are sub-zero inside Aker Arctic Technology's ice laboratory, as the scale model of an icebreaker cruises down a 70m-long simulation tank.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 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
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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.