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

NurPhoto via Getty Images Formula 1 heads to Hungary this weekend for the last race on the calendar before the annual three-week summer break. — Yara Elshebiny, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Emery wanted to sign him last summer, but Champions League football, which Chelsea had and Villa then did not, appealed to the Argentina international. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Adjective

Beginning in 2027, the State Fair’s traditional mid-summer dates will move to the fall in order to protect fair goers from the intense heat. — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado updated July 17, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026

Summerween is a mid-summer celebration of Halloween that blends the nostalgia of the fall holiday with warm-weather aesthetics. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026

Verb

Treating Heat Exhaustion Like Normal Tiredness The biggest threat to summer mental health is our bodies’ attempt to cool themselves down. — Nicole F. Roberts, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

The story goes that given the expense of the ground-breaking CGI used in the film, producers were looking to hire a relatively unknown (to summer blockbuster audiences, that is) actor for the role of Grant, with Neill winning the part. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 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