What does "weather" mean?

1. (atmospheric conditions) the state of the atmosphere at a certain time, like the temperature, rain, or wind. 2. (to survive a difficulty) to deal with and survive a difficult situation or a storm. 3. (to change due to exposure) to change color or shape because of being outside in the sun, rain, or wind. 4. (facing the wind) facing the direction that the wind is blowing from.

weather — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "The weathers are nice today."?

No — say "The weather is nice today.". In its general sense, 'weather' is uncountable and does not take a plural form.

Word

01atmospheric conditions

A1 · Beginner Uncountable noun

n. the state of the atmosphere at a certain time, like the temperature, rain, or wind.

n. the state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation.

“We checked the weather forecast before planning our trip to the beach.”

“The unpredictable mountain weather forced the hikers to abandon their ascent and seek shelter in the valley.”

Pitfall

The weathers are nice today.

The weather is nice today.

In its general sense, 'weather' is uncountable and does not take a plural form.

Synonyms

climate conditions

02to survive a difficulty

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to deal with and survive a difficult situation or a storm.

v. to endure or survive a challenging event or period without sustaining permanent damage.

“The small company managed to weather the economic crisis and stay in business.”

“The administration struggled to weather the political scandal, eventually emerging with a significantly diminished mandate.”

Synonyms

endure survive withstand

Antonyms

succumb fail

03to change due to exposure

B2 · Upper Intermediate Science

v. to change color or shape because of being outside in the sun, rain, or wind.

v. to undergo physical or chemical changes through prolonged exposure to atmospheric elements.

“The wooden fence had weathered over the years, turning a soft grey color.”

“Geologists studied how the limestone cliffs had weathered over millennia, creating the unique jagged formations seen today.”

Synonyms

erode age decay

04facing the wind

C2 · Proficiency Nautical Technical

adj. facing the direction that the wind is blowing from.

adj. relating to or being the side of a ship or object that faces the wind.

“The sailors moved to the weather side of the boat to keep it balanced.”

“The captain ordered the crew to secure the hatches on the weather rail as the gale intensified from the north.”

Usage

Usually placed before the noun.

Synonyms

windward

Antonyms

leeward

From Middle English weder, wedir, from Old English weder, from Proto-West Germanic wedr, from Proto-Germanic wedrą, from Proto-Indo-European wedʰrom (=we-dʰrom), from *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wather (“weather”), Saterland Frisian Weeder (“weather”), Cimbrian bèttar (“weather”), Dutch weder, weer (“weather”), German Wetter (“weather”), Low German Weder (“weather”), Luxembourgish Wieder (“weather”), Yiddish וועטער (veter, “weather”), Danish vejr (“weather”), Faroese, Icelandic veður (“weather”), Norwegian Bokmål vær (“weather”), Norwegian Nynorsk veder, vêr (“weather”), Swedish väder (“weather”); also more distantly related to Russian вёдро (vjódro, “fair weather”) and perhaps Albanian vrëndë (“light rain”). Other cognates include Sanskrit निर्वाण (nirvāṇa, “blown or put out, extinguished”).

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

NOUN

weather(A1)

weatherman(B1)

bad erratically forecasted forecasters hotness meteorology temperature vagaries