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Meaning & use

biting winds

noun·Advanced

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UK/ˌbaɪtɪŋ ˈwɪndz/
US/ˌbaɪtɪŋ ˈwɪndz/

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    Very cold winds that feel sharp and painful on your skin.

    Grammar: Used in the plural for weather generally; for a single blast of this wind, say 'a biting wind'.

    Patterns

    • biting winds blow
    • biting winds from the north
    • in the biting winds

    We waited at the bus stop in biting winds that cut through our coats.

    Biting winds swept across the empty beach all afternoon.

    A biting wind made the walk to school feel much longer than usual.

  2. nounpluralfigurativeliterary

    A situation or force felt as harshly cold or hostile, especially in writing.

    Grammar: Figurative use; often describes criticism or political conditions rather than actual weather.

    Patterns

    • biting winds of something
    • face the biting winds of something

    The company survived the biting winds of a long recession.

    Her proposal met the biting winds of public criticism.

Common combinations

icy biting winds
Icy biting winds kept everyone indoors for days.
biting winds blow
Biting winds blew through the mountain pass.
biting winds and snow
Rescue teams worked through biting winds and snow.
a biting wind
A biting wind rattled the windows all night.
in the biting wind
She stood in the biting wind waiting for a taxi.

Synonyms and how they differ

freezing winds
Focuses on very low temperature; 'biting winds' stresses the sharp, stinging feeling on the skin.
bitter winds
Very close in meaning and often interchangeable, though 'bitter' can also suggest resentment.
piercing winds
Emphasizes how the cold seems to go through your clothes; slightly more literary.

Opposites

warm breezesgentle breezes

Word family

biting adjective
Sharp and painfully cold, as in a biting wind.
bite verb
To cut or pierce with the teeth; used figuratively of cold that seems to bite.
bitterly adverb
In a way that is extremely cold or resentful, as in bitterly cold.

Commonly confused: biting winds or biting wind vs biting winds?

biting winds vs biting wind vs biting winds

Use 'a biting wind' for one instance and 'biting winds' for the weather generally or repeated gusts.

Practice

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