Weather in Detail — A2 Essential Words

cloudy /ˈklaʊdi/ adjective A2 Weather

Meaning: With many clouds in the sky; grey and without much sun.

Example: It's cloudy today — take a jacket.

Another example: The sky was cloudy all morning.

Collocations: cloudy sky · cloudy day · partly cloudy

Synonyms: overcast, grey

Antonyms: clear, sunny

Word family: cloud (n) · cloudiness (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Partly cloudy is the forecaster's hedge: some sun, some cloud. Overcast means completely grey.

🗣 In spoken American English: The most common forecast word in Seattle and Pittsburgh.

Register: Neutral — weather essential.

windy /ˈwɪndi/ adjective A2 Weather

Meaning: With a lot of wind blowing.

Example: It's too windy for the boat trip.

Another example: Chicago is a windy city.

Collocations: windy day · windy weather · very windy

Synonyms: breezy (gentle), stormy (strong)

Antonyms: calm, still

Word family: wind (n) · winds (n pl) · windiness (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Chicago's nickname is literally 'The Windy City'. Breezy is pleasant wind; windy can already be uncomfortable.

🗣 In spoken American English: Kites and flags love it; umbrellas hate it.

Register: Neutral — weather basics.

snowy /ˈsnəʊi/ adjective A2 Weather

Meaning: With snow falling or covering the ground.

Example: We had a snowy weekend in Denver.

Another example: The snowy mountains look beautiful.

Collocations: snowy day · snowy mountains · snowy roads

Synonyms: wintry, white (scene)

Antonyms: clear, dry

Word family: snow (n/v)

⚠ Common mistake: Snowy describes days, places, and scenes. Roads get 'snowy and icy' — winter's warning pair.

🗣 In spoken American English: Kids pray for it on school nights: a snowy forecast means a possible snow day.

Register: Neutral — winter essential.

foggy /ˈfɒɡi/ adjective A2 Weather

Meaning: With thick cloud near the ground that makes it hard to see (fog).

Example: It's foggy — drive carefully.

Another example: The foggy morning hid the bridge.

Collocations: foggy morning · foggy weather · dense fog

Synonyms: misty (lighter)

Antonyms: clear, bright

Word family: fog (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Fog is thick (you can't see far); mist is its lighter cousin. San Francisco's fog even has a name: Karl.

🗣 In spoken American English: Headlights on, speed down — the foggy rule.

Register: Neutral — weather and driving.

thunder /ˈθʌndər/ noun A2 Weather

Meaning: The loud noise in the sky during a storm, caused by lightning.

Example: The thunder woke the children.

Another example: We heard thunder in the distance.

Collocations: thunder and lightning · a clap of thunder · thunderstorm

Synonyms: rumble, boom

Word family: thunder (v) · thundery (adj) · thunderstorm (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Lightning is the flash you SEE; thunder is the sound you HEAR. Count the seconds between them to measure the storm's distance.

🗣 In spoken American English: Kids learn the trick early: flash, count, boom — science at the window.

Register: Neutral — storm essential.

lightning /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ noun A2 Weather

Meaning: A powerful flash of electricity in the sky during a storm.

Example: Lightning lit up the whole sky.

Another example: Never stand under a tree during lightning.

Collocations: lightning strike · flash of lightning · lightning storm

Synonyms: bolt, flash

Word family: lightning (uncountable)

⚠ Common mistake: One flash is 'a bolt of lightning' or 'a flash'. Lightning never takes 'a' alone. It moves at 'lightning speed' — the idiom for fastest.

🗣 In spoken American English: Safety rule everyone learns: when thunder roars, go indoors.

Register: Neutral — storm safety essential.

rainbow /ˈreɪnbəʊ/ noun A2 Weather

Meaning: A curved band of colors in the sky that appears when the sun shines through rain.

Example: A rainbow appeared after the storm.

Another example: The kids counted the rainbow's colors.

Collocations: a rainbow after rain · rainbow colors · over the rainbow

Synonyms: arc, spectrum (science)

Word family: rainbows (n pl)

⚠ Common mistake: Rain + bow (the weapon shape) — the name is a picture. Seven colors, always in the same order.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' is America's most hopeful song, from The Wizard of Oz.

Register: Neutral — sky beauty.

sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ noun A2 Weather

Meaning: The light and warmth of the sun; sunny weather.

Example: We enjoyed the sunshine at the beach.

Another example: Sunshine makes everyone smile.

Collocations: in the sunshine · sunshine and blue sky · hours of sunshine

Synonyms: sunlight, sun (the star)

Antonyms: darkness, shade

Word family: sunny (adj) · sunshine (uncountable)

⚠ Common mistake: Sunshine is the light/feel; sunny is the adjective for days. Florida is officially the Sunshine State.

🗣 In spoken American English: Weather reports count it: 'six hours of sunshine today'.

Register: Neutral — weather warmth.

breeze /briːz/ noun A2 Weather

Meaning: A light, gentle wind.

Example: A cool breeze came from the ocean.

Another example: The breeze moved the curtains softly.

Collocations: cool breeze · sea breeze · a light breeze

Synonyms: gentle wind, draft (indoor)

Antonyms: gust (sudden strong), storm wind

Word family: breezes (n pl) · breezy (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: A breeze is wind at its kindest. Its opposite mood is a gust — a sudden strong push of air.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'It's a breeze' also means something is very easy — the idiom stole the weather.

Register: Neutral — pleasant weather.

hail /heɪl/ noun / verb A2 Weather

Meaning: Small hard balls of ice that fall from the sky during some storms; to call out or welcome (another meaning).

Example: Hail damaged the cars last night.

Another example: The hailstones were as big as coins.

Collocations: hail storm · hailstones · hail damage

Synonyms: ice pellets, sleet (mix)

Word family: hail (v) · hailing (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Hail is ice from the sky — not snow. Hailstones can dent cars and break windows; storms that make them are serious.

🗣 In spoken American English: Insurance companies fear its season in the Midwest: 'Hail Alley'.

Register: Neutral — storm essential.