wintry

adjective

win·​try ˈwin-trē 

variants or less commonly wintery

ˈwin-t(ə-)rē 

wintrier; wintriest

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of winter

2

a

: weathered by or as if by winter : aged, hoary

b

: cheerless, chilling

a wintry greeting

wintriness

ˈwin-trē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• algid
• arctic
• bitter
• bone-chilling
• chill
• chilly
• cold
• coldish
• cool
• coolish
• freezing
• frigid
• frosty
• gelid
• glacial
• ice-cold
• icy
• nipping
• nippy
• numbing
• polar
• shivery
• snappy

Examples of wintry in a Sentence

a wintry mix of sleet and snow

She gave me a wintry welcome.

Recent Examples on the Web

From the iconic mountain municipalities of Colorado to the wintriest escapes in the Northeast, here's where to plan a stateside ski vacation. —Kayleigh Kulp, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2023

Conveniently sheltering their attractions from the elements, the best indoor water parks in the U.S. can become toasty escapes on the wintriest or rainiest days. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2023

It’s all very wintry and chilly and dark, but lovely as well. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023

Bridget Torres is a prominent national news weather forecaster who comes to the magical, wintry town of Leavenworth, Washington, where Christmas traditions prevail each holiday season. —al, 2 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wintry

adjective

win·​try ˈwin-trē 

wintrier; wintriest

1

: of, relating to, or typical of winter

wintry weather

2

: not warm and friendly : cheerless

a wintry welcome

wintriness noun