Lesson 4A · New English File Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

things that are related to air and sky such as temperature, rain, wind, etc.

"The weather is improving today."

"We checked the weather before leaving home."

cold in an unpleasant or uncomfortable way

"The evening is chilly."

"The chilly morning air made her shiver as she waited for the bus to take her to work."

slightly wet, particularly in an uncomfortable way

"The towel is damp."

"The damp towel was left on the floor and now it smells bad."

raining not in a heavy way but in fine or small drops

"The day is drizzling."

"It was drizzling lightly when we left the house so we brought umbrellas just in case the rain got heavier."

regarding extremely cold temperatures, typically below the freezing point of water

"The water is freezing."

"The freezing temperatures caused the pipes in the old house to burst and flood the basement completely."

(of the climate) having a lot of moisture in the air, causing an uncomfortable and sticky feeling

"The air is humid."

"The humid air made her hair curly and her skin feel sticky and uncomfortable."

raining heavily and steadily

"The rain is pouring."

"The rain was pouring down so hard that she could not see the road and had to pull over and wait."

to rain heavily in a large amount over a long stretch of time

"It is pouring with rain outside."

"It was pouring with rain so we decided to cancel the picnic and stay at home instead."

a thin, fog-like cloud consisting of tiny water droplets suspended in the air

"Mist covered the hills early morning."

"Mist is a suspension of tiny water droplets in the air that lightly obscures visibility"

a combination of smoke and fog that is considered a form of air pollution

"Smog covers the city skyline."

"Smog is a type of intense air pollution formed by the chemical reaction of sunlight with vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions"

a storm with heavy snowfall and strong winds

"The blizzard closed all the schools."

"A blizzard is a severe snowstorm with sustained high winds and very low visibility"

a long period of time when there is not much raining

"The drought killed all the crops."

"A drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall"

the rising of a body of water that covers dry places and causes damage

"The flood covered the village."

"The heavy rain caused a dangerous flash flood that swept away cars and forced many families to leave their homes in a hurry."

small and round balls of ice falling from the sky like rain

"Hail damaged the car windows."

"Heavy hail damaged the crops and broke the windows of several cars parked outside."

a very strong and destructive wind that moves in circles, often seen in the Caribbean

"The hurricane destroyed many houses."

"Residents were advised to evacuate their homes ahead of the approaching hurricane."

a period in the summer during which wind blows and rain falls in India or other hot South Asian countries

"The monsoon brought heavy rain that flooded the streets for days."

"A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind bringing torrential rainfall to South and Southeast Asia"

the loud crackling noise that is heard from the sky during a storm

"A sudden crash of thunder shook the house."

"The loud clap of thunder was so powerful that it shook the windows of the entire house."

characterized by frequent or unpredictable changes

"The weather is changeable."

"The changeable weather in spring can be sunny one minute and rainy the next without warning."

in a position beneath or underneath

"The temperature is below zero."

"The temperature dropped below zero last night so the roads are very icy and dangerous."

the number 0

"There are zero mistakes in her work."

"The probability of a zero-sum outcome in this negotiation is considered negligible."

the process of heating a liquid until it vaporizes and turns into steam or gas

"The boiling water bubbles in the pot."

"The boiling water bubbles in the pot and steam rises and fogs up the kitchen window."

a gentle and usually pleasant wind

"A cool breeze came from the sea."

"A gentle breeze made the hot afternoon much more pleasant."

having a pleasantly mild, low temperature

"The weather is cool."

"The cool breeze from the ocean felt refreshing after the hot and humid day and they sat on the porch enjoying the fresh air."

(of weather) pleasantly warm and less cold than expected

"The weather is mild today."

"We are enjoying a mild winter with temperatures much higher than usual."

to rain or snow as if in a shower

"It will shower soon."

"The clouds gathered ominously, threatening to shower the parched land with much-needed rain."

having a temperature that is high but not hot, especially in a way that is pleasant

"The water is warm."

"The warm sunshine felt good on her face after being inside the cold air conditioned office all morning long."

a thick cloud close to the ground that makes it hard to see through

"The fog was thick."

"A dense fog rolled in from the sea, reducing visibility to mere feet and causing significant delays for all flights."

a period of hot weather, usually hotter and longer than before

"The heat wave lasted two weeks."

"A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather"

a bright flash, caused by electricity, in the sky or one that hits the ground from within the clouds

"Lightning flashed across the dark"

"The lightning struck the tall tree and split it into two large pieces that fell to the ground."

(of weather) sunny and without many clouds

"The day was bright."

"The bright sunshine streamed through the window, promising a beautiful and clear day ahead."

without clouds or mist

"The sky is clear."

"The weather forecast predicts a clear sky for the entire duration of our camping trip."

(of the sky) covered with dark clouds that often indicate the possibility of rain

"The sky looks heavy."

"The sky grew heavy with dark clouds, signaling an imminent and powerful thunderstorm."

so cold that is uncomfortable or harmful

"The road is icy."

"The icy roads made driving very dangerous so the mayor advised everyone to stay home until the salt trucks came."

fixed in a desired state or location, often implying a sense of permanence or stability

"The family settled in the town."

"After years of traveling, they finally found a settled life in the countryside."

having a lot of physical power

"He is strong."

"The strong athlete effortlessly lifted the enormous weight during the competition."

very bright because there is a lot of light coming from the sun

"It is sunny today."

"The sunny day was perfect for a picnic and the family packed sandwiches fruit and lemonade to enjoy at the park."

(of the air, fog, etc.) heavily packed with particles, moisture, or pollutants, making it difficult to see or breathe

"The thick fog hid the road."

"Visibility was severely reduced due to the thick smog that had settled over the industrial city."