Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Characteristic of winter; cold, bleak, or harsh: Describes weather, conditions, or appearances that are typical of the winter season, often involving cold temperatures, frost, snow, or a barren landscape.
   • Lacking warmth or friendliness; cold in manner: Describes a demeanor, expression, or atmosphere that is emotionally cold, unfriendly, or distant.

Usage Examples

• Describing weather or conditions:
  • The wintry wind cut through our coats. (The cold, winter-like wind penetrated our clothing.)
  • The landscape looked bleak and wintry after the snowstorm. (The scenery appeared desolate and characteristic of winter.)
• Describing a manner or atmosphere:
  • She gave him a wintry smile that didn't reach her eyes. (Her smile was cold and unfriendly.)
  • A wintry silence fell over the meeting room. (A cold, uncomfortable silence descended.)

Advanced Usage

• "Wintry mix": A meteorological term for precipitation containing a mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow.
  • The forecast calls for a wintry mix, making driving hazardous.
• Literary/Descriptive Use: Often used in literature to set a scene that is both physically cold and emotionally bleak.
  • His heart felt as wintry as the abandoned field. (His emotions felt as cold and barren as the field.)

Variants and Related Words

• Winterly (adj): An older or less common variant meaning "of or like winter."
• Wintriness (n): The quality or state of being wintry.
  • The wintriness of the day made everyone stay indoors.

Synonyms

• Frigid: Very cold in temperature or manner.
• Frosty: Covered with frost; or, cold and unfriendly in attitude.
• Bleak: Cold and miserable; lacking in warmth or hope.
• Glacial: Extremely cold; or, very slow and cold in manner.
• Icy: Very cold; or, very unfriendly.

Antonyms

• Balmy: Pleasantly warm (weather).
• Genial: Friendly and cheerful (manner).
• Summery: Characteristic of or suitable for summer.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• A wintry reception: A cold, unfriendly, or hostile welcome.
  • The controversial proposal met with a wintry reception from the committee.
• Wintry blast: A sudden, strong, and very cold gust of wind.
  • A wintry blast from the north signaled the coming storm.

Adjective

1. devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
   • a frigid greeting
   • got a frosty reception
   • a frozen look on their faces
   • a glacial handshake
   • icy stare
   • wintry smile
2. characteristic of or occurring in winter
   • suffered severe wintry weather
   • brown wintry grasses