wintertime

IPA/ˈwɪntətaɪm/
KK[wˈɪntɚtˌaɪm]IPA/ˈwɪntərtaɪm/

wintertime — noun

1. the months of the year when the weather is coldest, usually between December and

1.nounA2
Definition

the months of the year when the weather is coldest, usually between December and March in northern countries

Example

In wintertime, Sahil wears a thick coat and woollen gloves every day.

preposition phrase: in wintertime

Zuri's family goes to the mountains every wintertime to go skiing together.

wintertime as time adverbial

Common collocations
  • in wintertime
  • during wintertime
  • wintertime temperatures
  • wintertime activities
  • wintertime sports
Synonyms
  • winter

    shorter and more common; wintertime emphasises the period rather than the abstract season

Antonyms
  • summertime

    the warmest period of the year, opposite of wintertime

Grammar Patterns

wintertime [verb]

in/during wintertime

wintertime + noun (modifier)

Usage Note

Used mainly as an uncountable noun. Often appears in phrases such as 'in wintertime' or 'during wintertime.'

Common Mistakes

I love wintertime season.
I love wintertime.
wintertime already includes the idea of a season, so 'season' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both 'winter' and 'wintertime' refer to the coldest season of the year, but they are used slightly differently. 'Winter' is the general, all-purpose word — you can talk about the weather, the season as a calendar period, or poetic associations ('winter of our discontent'). 'Wintertime' is more specific to the lived experience of the season: the long dark evenings, snow, cold weather, and holiday atmosphere. You would say 'people wear more layers in winter' or 'people wear more layers in wintertime' with little difference, but 'wintertime' sounds warmer and more evocative. 'Winter' is far more frequent and works in compounds ('winter coat', 'winter break') where 'wintertime' does not. The two are interchangeable in casual speech, but 'winter' is safer for learners in most contexts.

winter ↗wintertime ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in the heart of wintertime
  • during the wintertime months

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Wintertime comes from Old English 'winter' (the cold season) combined with 'tīd' (time, period). The compound has been used for over a thousand years to mean the winter season as a stretch of time.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined above