While
it’s only winter for half the world, and even then, it doesn’t snow everywhere,
there are still an abundance of words that you can use for the coldest
part of the year.
Use
these words to help you grow your English vocabulary when talking about winter.
black
ice –
a very thin coating of ice found on roads and sidewalks that is difficult to
see, and therefore quite dangerous
ex:
Irina said that the black ice on her street caused 3 car accidents.
cold
snap (n.) – a sudden arrival of cold
weather
ex: Emily wasn’t prepared for the
cold snap – all of her coats were still in storage.
to
hibernate (v.) – to
sleep through the winter in order to reserve energy
ex: Whenever December arrives, I just
want to hibernate like a bear until spring!
snow
drift (n.) – a deep pile of snow that
builds up because of wind
ex: I
couldn’t see my car because of the giant snow drift outside the window.
to be
snowbound (v.) – to be stranded or unable to
leave a place because of heavy snowfall
ex: We
were snowbound at
the ski chalet for the whole weekend.
snowfall (n.) – the amount of snow that comes down within
a period of time
ex:
What was the average snowfall over the country in the last storm?
whiteout (n.) – to be unable to tell the difference
between things because of an overabundance of snow
ex:
After the whiteout, looking outside was like looking at a sheet
of paper
Winter Idioms in English:There are lots of idioms that use winter words in order to make a point. Many of these phrases don’t have much to do with winter, though, which can make them more confusing. Here are some winter themed idioms that will help your English sparkle like freshly fallen snow.
snowball’s
chance in hell –
to be very unlikely to succeed at something
ex: The
small boat had a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving the storm.
dead of
winter –
the coldest, darkest part of winter
ex: It
feels like the dead of winter out there.
to be
on thin ice –
to be in a risky situation
ex: If
you keep asking him about his ex-girlfriend, you’ll be on
thin ice.
pure as
the driven snow –
to be innocent and chaste (frequently used ironically)
ex: I
never thought Madonna was pure as the driven snow,
but the book she wrote is crazy!
to
break the ice –
to create a more friendly and relaxed atmosphere
ex:
Charmaine was great at breaking the ice,
she always knows what to say to people.
to run
hot and cold –
to be unable to make up one’s mind
ex:
Alexi’s feelings about her run
hot and cold, one minute he loves her, and the next, he’s bored of
her.
the snowball
effect –
when something small keeps growing in importance or significance
ex:
Gangnam Style’s popularity was such a snowball effect.
put
something on ice –
to stop doing something
ex:
Herbert is going to put the project on ice until he gets a response from his
supervisor.
snowed
under –
to be overwhelmed, usually with responsibilities
ex: I’m
sorry I can’t go to the party tonight, I’m snowed under with homework.
Did you
see any challenging words in the above blog post? Learn their meanings!
Vocabulary:
to be
stranded - to be unable to leave a certain place
significance – importance, distinction
abundance – a large amount of something (Year of English)
significance – importance, distinction
abundance – a large amount of something (Year of English)