weather
Americannoun
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weather
plural
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the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.
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a strong wind or storm or strong winds and storms collectively.
We've had some real weather this spring.
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a weathercast.
The radio announcer will read the weather right after the commercial.
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Usually weathers. changes or vicissitudes in one's lot or fortunes.
She remained a good friend in all weathers.
verb (used with object)
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weathers,
present (3rd person singular)
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weathered,
past participle, past
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weathering
present participle
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to expose to the weather; dry, season, or otherwise affect by exposure to the air or atmosphere.
to weather lumber before marketing it.
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to discolor, disintegrate, or affect injuriously, as by the effects of weather.
These crumbling stones have been weathered by the centuries.
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to bear up against and come safely through (a storm, danger, trouble, etc.).
to weather a severe illness.
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Nautical. (of a ship, mariner, etc.) to pass or sail to the windward of.
to weather a cape.
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Architecture. to cause to slope, so as to shed water.
verb (used without object)
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weathers,
present (3rd person singular)
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weathered,
past participle, past
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weathering
present participle
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to undergo change, especially discoloration or disintegration, as the result of exposure to atmospheric conditions.
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to endure or resist exposure to the weather.
a coat that weathers well.
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to go or come safely through a storm, danger, trouble, etc. (usually followed bythrough ).
It was a difficult time for her, but she weathered through beautifully.
idioms
noun
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the day-to-day meteorological conditions, esp temperature, cloudiness, and rainfall, affecting a specific place Compare climate
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(modifier) relating to the forecasting of weather
a weather ship
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a prevailing state or condition
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(of a vessel) to roll and pitch in heavy seas
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(foll by of) to carry out with great difficulty or unnecessarily great effort
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informal
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not in good health
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intoxicated
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adjective
verb
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to expose or be exposed to the action of the weather
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to undergo or cause to undergo changes, such as discoloration, due to the action of the weather
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(intr) to withstand the action of the weather
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to endure (a crisis, danger, etc)
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(tr) to slope (a surface, such as a roof, sill, etc) so as to throw rainwater clear
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(tr) to sail to the windward of
to weather a point
Usage
What’s the difference between weather and climate? Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions—the temperature and precipitation on a certain day, for example. Climate refers to the average atmospheric conditions that prevail in a given region over a long period of time—whether a place is generally cold and wet or hot and dry, for example. It can also refer to the region or area that has a particular climate. Weather can also be a verb, meaning to expose something to harsh conditions (such as by placing it outside, in the weather), often in order to change it in some way, as in We need to weather this leather to soften it. It can also mean to endure a storm or, more metaphorically, a negative or dangerous situation, as in We will simply have to weather the recession. As nouns, both weather and climate can be used figuratively to refer to the general (nonliteral) atmosphere of a place or situation, as in phrases like political climate and fair-weather friend. In scientific terms, both weather and climate are about atmospheric conditions like temperature, precipitation, and other factors. But they differ in scale. Weather involves the atmospheric conditions and changes we experience in the short term, on a daily basis. Rain today, sun tomorrow, and snow next month—that’s weather. Climate involves average atmospheric conditions in a particular place over a long period of time (this is often understood to mean 30 years or more). Is the place where you live consistently rainy and cool? Is it always 72 degrees and sunny? That’s climate. So, when you’re making small talk about whether it’s rainy or sunny that day, you’re discussing the weather. If you’re complaining that it’s always way too hot where you live, all year round, you’re discussing your regional climate. Changes to climate—even an average temperature rise of a few degrees—can alter the weather patterns that we’re accustomed to. More extreme and more frequent storms, floods, and droughts are some examples of weather events that are being fueled by a warming of the climate. Here’s an example of weather and climate used correctly in a sentence. Example: When you live in an extremely dry climate, a rare day of rainy weather is thrilling. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between weather and climate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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weathersimple
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weatherssimple
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have weatheredperfect
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has weatheredperfect
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am weatheringprogressive
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are weatheringprogressive
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is weatheringprogressive
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have been weatheringperfect progressive
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has been weatheringperfect progressive
Past
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weatheredsimple
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had weatheredperfect
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was weatheringprogressive
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were weatheringprogressive
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had been weatheringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of weather
First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun), Old English weder; cognate with Dutch weder, German Wetter, Old Norse vethr
Explanation
Weather is the atmospheric conditions, including the temperature, wind, snow, rain, or anything else happening outside. People tend to talk about the weather when they can't think of anything else to talk about. In some places, people say, "Don't like the weather? Wait an hour and it'll change." Every day, experts try to predict the weather, but they never get it exactly right. You can also use weather to mean "endure something," as in "I weathered the storm at work." That's not a real storm, but a stormy situation. Even though the weather drives us all crazy at times, at least it gives us something to blab about.
Vocabulary lists containing weather
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Two-Faced Words: Contronyms
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Physical Geography - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Isaias comes unusually late in the season, which began on June 1, partly due to a strong El Nino weather phenomenon.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
And unexpected weight restrictions can crop up due to weather, runway changes or fuel requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
For the rest of the autumn, El Niño actually increases the chance of wet, mild and potentially stormy weather for the UK.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The carrier said it has also been trying to do a better job handling weather disruptions and has worked to address other practices that annoy customers, such as rolling delays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He capered out from under the porch where he lived in hot weather, and ran circles around us, dropping down to slide his hind end in the weeds.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
They typically have longer ranges than bullets and work in all weathers, unlike interceptor drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
Heavy rare earths are formed over millions of years, as rainfall weathers igneous rocks, breaking them down and leaving elements concentrated near the surface.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
"They are not built in sterile air-conditioned factories, they're built outside, usually in a muddy field, in all weathers by up to 200 people," she says.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025
Crowds are expected to gather in Edinburgh for New Year's Eve celebrations on 31 December and event organisers advised people to dress for all weathers and check social media for updates.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2024
One wet afternoon the following November, a Greyhound bus deposited Perry in Worcester, a Massachusetts factory town of steep, up-and-down streets that even in the best of weathers seem cheerless and hostile.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
They’re correct that America’s alliances have weathered struggles before.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
As it stands, the outlook for higher interest shouldn’t derail progress in the deal pipeline, given that most of the industry players already weathered and steeled themselves from challenging macroeconomic conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Few communities have weathered those forces more than Black L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Dubai is home to a large Iranian community, estimated at several hundred thousand people, which has contributed to the emirate's commercial development and weathered the various periods of tension with Tehran.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
As we rode past the old barn, weathered gray and leaning into a clump of hollyhocks and daisies, I pointed toward the shed.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
“Although new tariff challenges await in September, the August strength suggests the economy was weathering the storm better than expected in the third quarter,” Shelly Kaushik, senior economist at Bank of Montreal Capital Markets, said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Even though both the international oil benchmark and the U.S. benchmark have significantly jumped over the past two weeks as tensions in the Middle East have escalated, JPMorgan sees stocks weathering the storm.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
But after weathering through the lockdowns of Covid-19 and struggling with the continuing rising costs of operating, the family said things were "extremely difficult" to sustain.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Thursday's data demonstrated the European economy was weathering the impact of the US-Iran war that began earlier this year better than feared.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
There must be some feature of the mineral content of these stone roads that made them run in ribbon-like lines over the vast savanna, and be so resistant to weathering or cracking.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
