winter

winter — noun

1. the coldest time of the year, coming after autumn and before spring, when temper

1.nounA1
Definition

the coldest time of the year, coming after autumn and before spring, when temperatures drop and the days are short

Example

Mateo loves skiing, so he looks forward to winter every year.

look forward to + winter as anticipated season

Last winter was so harsh that the pipes in Tran's house froze solid.

harsh winter collocation; result clause

Common collocations
  • harsh winter
  • cold winter
  • mild winter
  • winter months
  • winter arrives
  • during the winter
Synonyms
  • wintertime

    more literary or nostalgic; refers to the period as a whole rather than the season as a calendar concept

  • cold season

    descriptive rather than a true synonym; used in regions without four distinct seasons

Antonyms
  • summer

    the warmest season, opposite in climate and day length

Common Mistakes

I like winter season very much.
I like the winter season very much.
'winter' alone doesn't need 'the' for general reference, but 'winter season' does take the definite article when speaking generally.
Idioms

in the dead of winter

idiom

During the coldest period of the winter season.

Maya's car broke down in the dead of winter.

Did you really hike that trail in the dead of winter?

winter — verb

winter — adjective

Word family

  • wintry
    adjectiveB1
  • wintery
    adjectiveB1
  • wintertime
    nounB2
  • winterize
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Winter' is the standard, neutral word for the coldest season — used in everyday conversation, weather reports, and calendars. 'Wintertime' carries a slightly warmer, more nostalgic tone and often refers to the social or atmospheric experience of the season rather than the calendar period (e.g., 'wintertime is for cozy evenings by the fire'). In learner contexts, 'wintertime' is far less frequent and best used for vivid description. 'Cold season' is a functional term used mainly in regions without four distinct seasons or in medical contexts (flu season). For example: 'The winter months are December to February in the north'; 'I love wintertime because of the holiday decorations'; 'The cold season lasts only a few weeks in this tropical country.'

winter ↗wintertimecold season

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'winter', derived from the Proto-Germanic noun '*wintruz', which may trace further back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*wed-' meaning 'water' or 'wet'. This connection suggests the ancient Germanic peoples thought of winter as the 'wet season' — the time of rain and snow, as opposed to the dry summer. The word has remained almost unchanged in form across more than a thousand years of English history.