summer

1 of 3

noun

sum·​mer ˈsə-mər 

1

: the season between spring and autumn comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of June, July, and August or as reckoned astronomically extending from the June solstice to the September equinox

2

: the warmer half of the year

3

: year

a girl of seventeen summers

4

: a period of maturing powers

summerlike

ˈsə-mər-ˌlīk 

adjective

summer

2 of 3

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or suitable for summer

summer vacation

a summer home

2

: sown in the spring and harvested in the same year as sown

summer wheat

compare winter

summer

3 of 3

verb

summered; summering ˈsə-mə-riŋ 

ˈsəm-riŋ

intransitive verb

: to pass the summer

transitive verb

: to keep or carry through the summer

especially : to provide (cattle, sheep, etc.) with pasture during the summer

Examples of summer in a Sentence

Noun

What are your plans for this summer?

We visited them two summers ago.

the first day of summer

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That followed an increase over the summer from $599, which Apple blamed on memory costs. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026

The executive first joined Sky in late summer 2022 and relocated from Amsterdam to London, reporting to Cécile Frot-Coutaz, who is chief advertising and content officer at Sky and CEO of Sky Studios. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Here are the best post-swim haircare products, including shampoo that gets green out, a treatment that revitalizes post-summer strands, and a hair mask that acts like a swim cap. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2026

The numbers at both ports came up short from last year largely due to the flurry of mid-summer cargo brought in ahead of various August tariff deadlines at the time. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Verb

Between drought, heat, and wildfire, much of the world is summering in record-breaking territory. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026

Reina has been summering in Gaeta and Formia, the next town over, for decades and knows the area like the back of her hand. — Laura Itzkowitz, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sumer, from Old English sumor; akin to Old High German & Old Norse sumer summer, Sanskrit samā year, season

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing summer

• high summer
• Indian summer
• Saint Martin's summer
• snow-in-summer
• St. Martin's summer
• summer camp
• summer cypress
• summer flounder
• summer home
• summer job
• summer kitchen
• summer savory
• summer school
• summer squash
• summer stock
• summer theater
• summer time

Rhymes for summer

• bummer
• comer
• drummer
• dumber
• hummer
• plumber
• plummer
• somer
• trimer
• midsummer
• newcomer

Kids Definition

summer

1 of 3 noun

sum·​mer ˈsəm-ər 

1

: the season between spring and autumn that usually includes the months of June, July, and August in the northern hemisphere

2

: the warmer half of the year

3

: one of the years of one's life

a child of eight summers

4

: a time of fulfillment

summer

2 of 3 adjective

: of or for the summer

summer flowers

a summer job

summer

3 of 3 verb

summered; summering ˈsəm-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to pass the summer

2

: to keep or carry through the summer

especially : to provide (as cattle or sheep) with pasture during the summer