Meaning & use
showery
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Having short bursts of light rain with dry spells in between.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a verb: showery weather, or the afternoon was showery.
Patterns
- showery weather
- a showery day
It will be a showery afternoon, so take an umbrella.
The forecast for the weekend is mild but showery.
April is often a showery month in this part of the country.
Word forms
| comparative | showerier |
|---|---|
| superlative | showeriest |
Common combinations
- showery weather
- We went hiking despite the showery weather.
- a showery day
- It was a showery day, with sun between the clouds.
- turn showery
- The weather is expected to turn showery by evening.
- showery spell
- A showery spell cleared in time for the match.
- showery outbreaks
- The forecast mentions showery outbreaks of rain in the north.
Synonyms and how they differ
- drizzly
- It describes fine, continuous light rain, whereas showery rain comes and goes in bursts.
- rainy
- It is more general and suggests rain for long periods, not short bursts.
- changeable
- It covers any unsettled weather, so it is wider than showery.
- unsettled
- It is a forecaster's word for weather that may bring rain or wind, not just showers.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: showery or stormy?
showery vs stormy
Stormy means strong wind, thunder or heavy rain, while showery is just brief, usually light rain.
Practice
The weather report said the day would be ____, with sunshine between brief bursts of rain.
Choose one answer.
Showery means short bursts of rain with dry spells. Foggy, icy and humid describe different conditions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “showery”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.