Winter Vocabulary & Phrasal Verbs: Talk About the Cold Like a Native Speaker
Introduction
December brings frosty mornings, early sunsets and cosy evenings indoors. It’s also a great time to learn useful English vocabulary for winter weather. In this post, you’ll learn some winter Vocabulary & Phrasal Verbs:
- Key winter weather words
- Natural expressions and phrasal verbs
- Example sentences
- A short practice activity
Let’s warm up your winter English!
Essential Winter Weather Vocabulary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Frost / Frosty | A thin layer of ice on surfaces | The grass was covered in frost this morning. |
| Freezing | Very cold | It’s freezing outside – don’t forget your gloves! |
| Icy | Slippery with ice | Be careful, the roads are icy today. |
| Snowfall | When snow comes down | We had heavy snowfall last night. |
| Blizzard | A strong snowstorm with wind | The blizzard made driving impossible. |
| Bitter cold | Extremely cold and sharp | A bitter cold wind blew across the street. |
| Slush | Wet, melting snow on the ground | My shoes got soaked in the slush. |
| Nippy (informal, UK) | Slightly cold | It’s a bit nippy today – wear a scarf. |
Useful Winter Phrasal Verbs
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Warm up | Get warm or make something warm | Come inside and warm up by the fire. |
| Cool off | Become cooler | It’s going to cool off after sunset. |
| Wrap up (warm) | Dress in warm clothes | Make sure you wrap up warm today. |
| Snow in | Be stuck somewhere because of snow | We were snowed in for two days last winter. |
| Freeze over | When water turns to ice | The lake froze over during the night. |
| Heat up | Warm something (usually food or drink) | Let me heat up some soup for you. |
Natural Winter Expressions
- “I can see my breath!” (meaning it’s very cold)
- “It’s minus two today.” (common for below-zero temperatures)
- “I’m layered up today.” (wearing several layers of clothing)
- “My hands are numb.” (no feeling because of the cold)
Example Dialogue
A: It’s freezing this morning!
B: I know! I had to wrap up warm before leaving the house.
A: Same here. The pavement was so icy I almost slipped.
B: I hope it warms up later — I’m tired of this bitter cold.
Mini Practice Activity
Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary or phrasal verb:
- It’s really __________ outside — you’ll need a thick coat.
- The lake __________ over last night.
- Don’t forget to __________ warm before you go out.
- After walking in the snow, we came inside to __________ up.
- The roads are __________ today, so drive carefully.
[answers at the end]
Conclusion
Now you’re ready to talk about winter weather like a native speaker!
Try describing today’s weather in your town using at least three new expressions from this post.
(Answers: 1. freezing / nippy – 2. froze – 3. wrap up – 4. warm – 5. icy)
