Winter

/ˈwɪntə/ name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or the months of December, January, and February in temperate and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the months of June, July, and August in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when the sun is lowest in the sky, resulting in short days, and the time of year with the lowest atmospheric temperatures for the region.
  • Grammar: winter is listed as name, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: aestival, arctic, autumn, autumnal.
  • Useful contrasts: blooming, given name, hot.
  • Usage evidence: During winter I sleep with two blankets.

How to use "winter"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "winter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "winter" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "winter" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "winter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "winter" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "aestival" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "winter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or the months of December, January, and February in temperate and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the months of June, July, and August in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when the sun is lowest in the sky, resulting in short days, and the time of year with the lowest atmospheric temperatures for the region. countable, uncountable

    "Ne take noon hede to brynge togidere þe parties of þe boon þat is to-broken or dislocate, til viij. daies ben goon in þe wyntir, & v. in þe somer; for þanne it schal make quytture, and be sikir from swellynge; & þanne brynge togidere þe brynkis eiþer þe disiuncture after þe techynge þat schal be seid in þe chapitle of algebra."

  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of winter. alt-of, countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    the coldest season of the year; in the Northern Hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox wordnet
  4. 4
    The period of decay, old age, death, or the like. countable, figuratively, poetic, uncountable

    "Life's autumn past, I stand on winter's verge."

  5. 5
    Someone with dark skin, eyes and hair, seen as best suited to certain colors of clothing. countable
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    An appliance to be fixed on the front of a grate, to keep a kettle warm, etc. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  2. 7
    The rainy season. India, archaic, countable, uncountable

    "Note that the Citie of Goa is the principall place of all the Oriental India, and the winter thus beginneth the 15 of May, with very great raine."

Verb
  1. 1
    To spend the winter (in a particular place). intransitive

    "When they retired, they hoped to winter in Florida."

  2. 2
    spend the winter wordnet
  3. 3
    To store something (for instance animals) somewhere over winter to protect it from cold. transitive
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname from the Germanic languages. countable
  2. 2
    A unisex given name. countable
  3. 3
    A placename:; An unincorporated community in the Rural Municipality of Senlac, No. 411, Saskatchewan, Canada. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A placename:; An unincorporated community in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States. countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A placename:; A small town and village in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States. countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    The personification of winter, wintertime. countable, uncountable

Antonyms

Example

"During winter I sleep with two blankets."

Common questions

What does "winter" mean?

Traditionally the fourth of the four seasons, typically regarded as spanning either the period between the winter solstice to the spring equinox, or the months of December, January, and February in temperate and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the months of June, July, and August in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the time when the sun is lowest in the sky, resulting in short days, and the time of year with the lowest atmospheric temperatures for the region.

What is a synonym for "winter"?

Common synonyms include: aestival, arctic, autumn, autumnal, bitter weather, bleak.

How do you use "winter" in a sentence?

During winter I sleep with two blankets.

How do you pronounce "winter"?

Pronounced /ˈwɪntə/.

Etymology

From Middle English winter, from Old English winter, from Proto-West Germanic *wintru, from Proto-Germanic *wintruz (“winter”). Cognate with West Frisian winter (“winter”), Dutch winter (“winter”), German Winter (“winter”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian vinter (“winter”), Icelandic vetur (“winter”).

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