Meaning & use
springlike
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Typical of spring, especially in being mild, fresh, or pleasantly warm.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a springlike day; the weather turned springlike.
Patterns
- a springlike day
- springlike weather
- springlike conditions
We had a springlike afternoon in the middle of February.
The garden looked springlike after the warm rain.
Warm, springlike winds melted the last of the snow.
adjectivenot comparablefigurative
Resembling the season of spring in mood, freshness, or new growth.
Grammar: Often figurative; describes a cheerful or renewed quality rather than weather.
Patterns
- a springlike mood
- a springlike freshness
After the long illness, there was something springlike in her step again.
The music has a light, springlike quality.
Common combinations
- springlike weather
- Springlike weather brought everyone outdoors.
- a springlike day
- It was a springlike day, sunny and mild.
- turn springlike
- By noon the air had turned springlike.
- springlike conditions
- Springlike conditions are expected through the weekend.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mild
- Describes gentle, not-cold weather but says nothing about the season of spring.
- balmy
- Suggests pleasantly warm air, often in summer or evening, so it fits less well for early-year freshness.
Opposites
Word family
- spring noun
- The season between winter and summer.
- springtime noun
- The period of spring, often used of weather and nature.
Commonly confused: springlike or springy?
springlike vs springy
Springy means able to bend and bounce back, like a mattress; springlike means typical of spring.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'springlike' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Springlike' describes something typical of spring, so weather in January fits. Option 0 describes something that bounces, which is 'springy'; option 2 wrongly uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “springlike”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.