Describing Words
Words to Describe the Weather
18 hand-picked words
Weather sets the mood of a scene before a single character speaks. Trade "it was sunny" and "it was cold" for words that carry atmosphere — grouped by warm and bright, cold and harsh, and the moods of wind and sky.
How to use these
Let the weather do emotional work. A "sullen" sky or a "balmy" evening primes the reader's mood before the action starts — but don't overdo it; one well-chosen weather word beats a paragraph of forecast.
Warm & bright
Fair-weather days.
Cold & harsh
When it bites.
Wind & sky
Mood overhead.
Register guide
Literary
elevated, prose-friendlyFormal
professional, non-fictionCasual
everyday, informalArchaic
historical, poeticContinue exploring
Frequently asked
What are some descriptive words for bad weather?
For cold: bitter, raw, frigid, biting. For storms and grey skies: tempestuous, squally, bleak, sullen, overcast. Match the word to the mood you want — "sullen" broods, "tempestuous" rages.