nippy weather

Meanings

1. 1phraseuncountableinformal

   Cold weather that makes you feel a sharp chill, often with a bit of wind.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable phrase, usually with "the": the nippy weather; not "a nippy weather."

   Patterns

   • the nippy weather
   • nippy weather in the morning
   • it's nippy weather

   Bring a scarf — the nippy weather caught us all by surprise.

   We walked the dog despite the nippy weather and came home with red cheeks.

   Nippy weather like this makes me want a bowl of hot soup.

2. 2phraseuncountableinformal

   A spell of cool, brisk conditions that feels refreshing rather than truly freezing.

   Grammar: Often used after "in" or "during" to name a period: in the nippy weather, during the nippy weather.

   Patterns

   • in the nippy weather
   • during the nippy weather

   The children played outside in the nippy weather until their fingers went numb.

   Sales of gloves always rise during the nippy weather in late fall.

Common combinations

a bit nippy

It's a bit nippy this evening, so take a jacket.

turn nippy

The air turned nippy as soon as the sun went down.

nippy in the morning

It can be nippy in the morning even in early summer.

feel nippy

The wind made the whole street feel nippy.

nippy weather sets in

Once the nippy weather sets in, we light the fire every night.

Synonyms and how they differ

chilly

Chilly is a more neutral, slightly more formal word for the same uncomfortable coolness.

cold

Cold is the plain everyday word and covers a wider range, from mildly cool to freezing.

brisk

Brisk suggests cold air that feels fresh and invigorating rather than unpleasant.

Opposites

Word family

nip verb

To bite or sting sharply, as cold air can do to your skin.

nippy adjective

The adjective on its own, meaning sharply cold or quick and lively.

Commonly confused: nippy weather or nipple?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “nippy weather”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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