wintry — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Suggestive or characteristic of winter; cold, stormy.

   Synonyms

   brumalhibernalhiemal

   Examples

   wintry weather

   More examples (2)

   A faded, and an ancient dragon he was; and many a wintry storm of rain, snow, sleet, and hail, had changed his colour from a gaudy blue to a faint lack-lustre shade of gray.

   In one village in Bachu County, more than 1,000 buildings and houses collapsed, according to the state-run New China News Agency. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and were preparing to spend the night outside in the wintry chill, witnesses said.

   The UK could face a spell of wintry weather in March, with lower-than-average temperatures and even the chance of snow, the Met Office has warned.

2. Containing sleet or snow.

   Usage

   • of precipitation

   Synonyms

   sleetysnowy

   Examples

   It will be cloudy overnight, with outbreaks of heavy rain at times. The rain may turn wintry over higher ground.

3. Aged, white-haired.

   Synonyms

   grislyhoary

4. Chilling, cheerless.

   Synonyms

   bleakdreary

   Examples

   a wintry remark

   He reached the old ruins at last, dim masses of moss-grown masonry in the glimmer of the wintry starlight.

Adjective

1. characteristic of or occurring in winter

   Synonyms

   wintery

   Antonyms

   vernalsummeryautumnal

   Examples

   suffered severe wintry weather

   brown wintry grasses

2. devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain

   Synonyms

   frigidfrostyfrozenglacialicy

   Examples

   a frigid greeting

   got a frosty reception

   More examples (4)

   a frozen look on their faces

   a glacial handshake

   icy stare

   wintry smile