English Reference
Adjective

all weather

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈɔlˈwɛðɚ/ al·l-weath·er

adj.designed to work or be used in any type of weather, including rain, snow, or extreme heat. You use this for things like tires, clothing, or outdoor equipment that won't fail when conditions get bad.

adj.capable of functioning effectively in all weather conditions, including rain, snow, ice, and extreme temperatures. Typically used attributively before nouns.


SIMPLE

These all-weather tires handle snow and rain equally well.

CONTEXTUAL

The park installed all-weather benches that resist rust and fading through hot summers and freezing winters.

COMPLEX

The expedition relied on all-weather gear rated for sub-zero temperatures, knowing that standard equipment would fail long before they reached the summit.

Usage

Always used attributively before a noun; does not appear predicatively (*the tires are all-weather is marginal).


Formed in English by combining "all" with "weather" with a hyphen, following the pattern of compound adjectives denoting suitability for multiple conditions. The construction parallels similar formations like "all-purpose" and "all-season" from the early 20th century.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Very common
Updated