weather

1 of 3

noun

weath·​er ˈwe-t͟hər How to pronounce weather (audio)
1
: the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness
2
: state or vicissitude of life or fortune
3
: disagreeable atmospheric conditions: such as
a
: rain, storm
b
: cold air with dampness
4

weather

2 of 3

verb

weathered; weathering
ˈwet͟h-riŋ,
ˈwe-t͟hə- How to pronounce weather (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to expose to the open air : subject to the action of the elements
2
: to bear up against and come safely through
weather a storm
weather a crisis

intransitive verb

: to undergo or endure the action of the elements

weather

3 of 3

adjective

: of or relating to the side facing the wind compare lee
Phrases
to weather
: in the direction from which the wind is blowing
under the weather

Examples of weather in a Sentence

Noun The weather today will be hot and dry. The hikers sought protection from the weather under an overhang. It looks like we're in for some weather tomorrow. We'll take a look at the weather right after this commercial break. Check the weather before you make plans. Verb The wood on the porch has weathered over the years. They weathered a terrible storm while at sea. He has weathered the criticism well.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Murfree, meanwhile, has argued for shifting the timing of the season, and for opportunistically moving games based on weather, making baseball less tied to place. Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2024 However, there’s not much to complain about while sipping a tropical beverage on the beach in warm weather, while the sun sets in the distance. Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Fox’s portfolio of sports and news has positioned the company well to weather the accelerating secular headwinds in the linear ecosystem relative to peers. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024 That could also hold true for private equity firms and other asset managers, who have been forced to weather a tough period for deal-making. Greg McKenna, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
According to Stephen Clark, this was SpaceX's first non-weather, non-range terminal countdown abort since NROL-108 in December 2020. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 22 July 2022 And now people with a non-weather background reference it, too. Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2022 See all Example Sentences for weather 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English weder, from Old English; akin to Old High German wetar weather, Old Church Slavic vetrŭ wind

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of weather was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near weather

Cite this Entry

“Weather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weather. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

weather

1 of 3 noun
weath·​er ˈwet͟h-ər How to pronounce weather (audio)
1
: the state of the atmosphere in regard to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness
2
: disagreeable atmospheric conditions
stormy weather

weather

2 of 3 verb
weathered; weathering ˈwet͟h-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce weather (audio)
1
: to change by exposure to the weather
shingles weathered to a silvery gray
2
: to bear up against and come safely through
weather a storm

weather

3 of 3 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on weather

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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