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
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
summered; summering
ˈsə-mə-riŋ 
ˈsəm-riŋ
: to pass the summer
: 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
Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
Renard was impressed at how much the general public paid attention to Hollywood’s summer of strikes.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023
While most infections happen in the spring and summer there are cases reported every month.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
The last two years of rain and snow officially ended the drought, but the state’s climate continues to warm—average summer temperatures have increased 3 degrees F (1.8 degrees C) since the end of the 19th century.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
In Massachusetts, the state has helped support temporary housing for summer workers on Cape Cod.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023
Queen Elizabeth usually spent her summer months in Scotland with members of the royal family regularly visiting her, and King Charles has kept the tradition going.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Gavin Newsom Hollywood’s hot labor summer standoff set the stage for California’s governor to emerge as a hero among unions.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
This toasty crust works especially great in those sweltering summer months when nobody wants to run an oven for an hour.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 7 July 2023
Those beach days might be long behind us, but the supermodel is still making the most of her post-summer glow.
—Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 4 Nov. 2022
When Nature Calls kicked off the 1995 holiday season with a then-record (for a non-summer opening) $38 million launch.
—Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021
Donate blood: The American Red Cross continues to experience an emergency blood and platelet shortage that has caused the blood supply to drop to the lowest post-summer level in at least six years.
—Sam Boyer, cleveland, 15 Oct. 2021
As California reached another post-summer high in the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide, Texas and Illinois, with about 10 million and 6.4 million fewer residents, respectively, surpassed California’s total.
—Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 27 Nov. 2020
His numbers in The Crawsover, Jamal Crawford’s pro-am summer league at Seattle Pacific University, also raised eyebrows.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2019
Orlando will play its summer league opener Friday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets at Cox Pavilion.
—Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, 2 July 2018
To be able to play NBA summer league, to get playing time, to get opportunities on the offensive end, to get a comfort level playing against stronger, elite athletes at this level?
—J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2018
Bydaniel Duane, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2023
The former first couple executive produced the film under their Higher Ground banner and are among the high-profile families who summer on the Vineyard.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 29 Sep. 2023
Latte makeup spilled all over TikTok, Hailey Bieber made strawberry girl summer a thing, and things just got a little bit sweeter (and shinier) with honey lips taking over screens and mouths everywhere.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Prehistoric mammoth hunters roamed here for thousands of years, followed by the Ute and Arapaho people who summered within the current park bounds until the early 1800s.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2023
The newest is Resilient Lady, which launched in May and will summer in the Mediterranean.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
Don Lemon is enjoying his free time following his sudden termination from CNN in April, a source tells PEOPLE, adding that the former CNN This Morning co-host is summering in the Hamptons with his fiancé Tim Malone and mulling various next steps in his career.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 15 June 2023
What would summer be without the occasional stop at 7-Eleven for a sweet, icy Slurpee to sip and savor on a hot afternoon?
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023
What will summer vacation 2020 look like in Arizona?
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 6 Oct. 2020
See More
Noun
The Mediterranean Honeysuckle Clementina Eau de Parfum is a sweet and fruity concoction that smells like a seaside summer cocktail.
—Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 19 Nov. 2023
Renard was impressed at how much the general public paid attention to Hollywood’s summer of strikes.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023
While most infections happen in the spring and summer there are cases reported every month.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023
The last two years of rain and snow officially ended the drought, but the state’s climate continues to warm—average summer temperatures have increased 3 degrees F (1.8 degrees C) since the end of the 19th century.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
In Massachusetts, the state has helped support temporary housing for summer workers on Cape Cod.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023
Queen Elizabeth usually spent her summer months in Scotland with members of the royal family regularly visiting her, and King Charles has kept the tradition going.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
Gavin Newsom Hollywood’s hot labor summer standoff set the stage for California’s governor to emerge as a hero among unions.
—Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
This toasty crust works especially great in those sweltering summer months when nobody wants to run an oven for an hour.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
Adjective
The new allowances cut summer units from 10 to 8 and non-summer units from 6 to 5.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 7 July 2023
Those beach days might be long behind us, but the supermodel is still making the most of her post-summer glow.
—Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 4 Nov. 2022
When Nature Calls kicked off the 1995 holiday season with a then-record (for a non-summer opening) $38 million launch.
—Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021
Donate blood: The American Red Cross continues to experience an emergency blood and platelet shortage that has caused the blood supply to drop to the lowest post-summer level in at least six years.
—Sam Boyer, cleveland, 15 Oct. 2021
As California reached another post-summer high in the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide, Texas and Illinois, with about 10 million and 6.4 million fewer residents, respectively, surpassed California’s total.
—Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, 27 Nov. 2020
His numbers in The Crawsover, Jamal Crawford’s pro-am summer league at Seattle Pacific University, also raised eyebrows.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2019
Orlando will play its summer league opener Friday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets at Cox Pavilion.
—Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, 2 July 2018
To be able to play NBA summer league, to get playing time, to get opportunities on the offensive end, to get a comfort level playing against stronger, elite athletes at this level?
—J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2018
Verb
These include father-son pairs, Anderson told me, who summer in places like the Hamptons, travel to surf overseas twice a year, and order four or five new boards for every trip.
—Bydaniel Duane, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2023
The former first couple executive produced the film under their Higher Ground banner and are among the high-profile families who summer on the Vineyard.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 29 Sep. 2023
Latte makeup spilled all over TikTok, Hailey Bieber made strawberry girl summer a thing, and things just got a little bit sweeter (and shinier) with honey lips taking over screens and mouths everywhere.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Prehistoric mammoth hunters roamed here for thousands of years, followed by the Ute and Arapaho people who summered within the current park bounds until the early 1800s.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2023
The newest is Resilient Lady, which launched in May and will summer in the Mediterranean.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
Don Lemon is enjoying his free time following his sudden termination from CNN in April, a source tells PEOPLE, adding that the former CNN This Morning co-host is summering in the Hamptons with his fiancé Tim Malone and mulling various next steps in his career.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 15 June 2023
What would summer be without the occasional stop at 7-Eleven for a sweet, icy Slurpee to sip and savor on a hot afternoon?
—Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Apr. 2023
What will summer vacation 2020 look like in Arizona?
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 6 Oct. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'summer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of summer was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing summer
Dictionary Entries Near summer
Cite this Entry
“Summer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summer. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
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
More from Merriam-Webster on summer
Nglish: Translation of summer for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of summer for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about summer
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