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
Noun
Confidence: Medium-High Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest weather updates. Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The onboard marina, which is open in favorable weather conditions, offers watersports and swimming off the stern of the ship. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 The groundhogs lied to us:Spring begins for Central Indiana with sub-freezing weather John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 The whole family can join in on the fun with this ring toss game that’s great for heading outdoors and enjoying the spring weather. Maya Polton, Parents, 18 Mar. 2024 After weeks of mild to warm weather, what could be one of the final gasps of the anemic winter of 2023-24 spread over much of the eastern half of the U.S. Monday. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Tuesday marks the first day of spring and in honor of the new season, metro Detroit is giving a true Michigan welcome with whiplash-inspiring weather conditions. Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press, 18 Mar. 2024 The AccuWeather team analyzed multiple weather factors and historic data during the timing of the April 8 eclipse. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Detailed Cincinnati weather forecast Friday: There is a chance of showers before 2 p.m., then rain, mainly after 2 p.m. High near 62. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Constructed in the later half of the 19th century, the building has weathered fire, flood, abandonment—and even ghosts. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 They are weathered and faded from exposure to the sun and the rain in Minneapolis. Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 Russia’s economy has largely weathered the shock of unprecedented international sanctions since Putin began the February 2022 invasion, thanks to a continuing flow of energy revenue and a massive injection of government spending to support the defense industry and shield domestic businesses. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 18 Mar. 2024 In the last seven years Florida has weathered five major hurricanes. Amy Green, WIRED, 16 Mar. 2024 These elements ultimately come from rock weathered by its contact with water at the bottom of oceans. Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 No matter what the economic landscape looks like, though, Southern California urban markets are well positioned to weather any headwinds coming their way, Martz says. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Feb. 2024 And while last year’s six months of Hollywood strikes hobbled film and TV production and thinned out studios’ TV and movie schedules, Netflix appeared to weather the disruption better than many rivals. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Over the past six seasons, Bassett’s Los Angeles Police Department field sergeant Athena Grant has weathered an absolutely staggering number of calamities including, but by no means limited to: a tsunami, a citywide blackout, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, and, yes, a blimp crash. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 6 Mar. 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 These breakfasts are particularly popular in Asia and the Pacific, especially at warm-weather private villa resorts in places like Thailand, Fiji and the Maldives. Lilit Marcus, CNN, 21 June 2021 Current laws allow non-weather water loss claims up to five years after the incident that caused the damage. Ron Hurtibise, sun-sentinel.com, 14 Nov. 2020 Sun Country’s business consists of commercial flights between the United States and warm-weather international vacation destinations, transporting cargo for Amazon, and charter flights. Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020 That chapter has not stopped the media personality from sharing his non-weather opinions on social media. Neal Justin, Star Tribune, 12 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weather.' 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 weder, from Old English; akin to Old High German wetar weather, Old Church Slavonic 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 28 Mar. 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

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