weathered
Americanadjective
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seasoned or otherwise affected by exposure to the weather.
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(of wood) artificially treated to seem discolored or stained by the action of air, rain, etc.
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(of rocks) worn, disintegrated, or changed in color or composition by weathering.
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Architecture. made sloping or inclined, as a window sill, to prevent the lodgment of water.
adjective
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affected by exposure to the action of the weather
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(of rocks and rock formations) eroded, decomposed, or otherwise altered by the action of water, wind, frost, heat, etc
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(of a sill, roof, etc) having a sloped surface so as to allow rainwater to run off
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(of wood) artificially stained so as to appear weather-beaten
weathered garden furniture
Other Word Forms
- unweathered adjective
Etymology
Origin of weathered
Explanation
Weathered things are worn by use, time, or weather, like the weathered shingles on a beachside cottage or an elderly man's weathered face. Your favorite sneakers will look weathered by the end of the summer. And, the weathered Canadian flag your brother hung outside your house back when he was a hockey fan should probably be replaced with a Union Jack now that his favorite spectator sport is cricket. Weathered comes from the verb weather, which first meant just "come through safely," before gaining the meaning "wear away by exposure," like the paint on a boat over time.
Vocabulary lists containing weathered
"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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The Red Pony
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"Efrén Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros, Chapters 1–5
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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.
Hagen and Talactac have weathered far worse—the Covid-19 pandemic, for example.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
Boomers weathered an oil crisis, high inflation and high interest rates as they got their start in the 1970s and ’80s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Doncic’s was the second injury scare the Lakers weathered in the game that was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the hottest teams in the league.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
But the Houthis appear to have weathered that.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
She’s got long blond hair that goes all the way down to her sturdy, thick waist, and a very pretty face that’s been weathered by the sun.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
