Want to describe winter vividly and confidently? This article unlocks the power of Idioms about Winter, boosting your vocabulary and helping you sound like a native speaker.
Dive into unique expressions, overcome language barriers, and elevate your communication skills. Master the art of seasonal description!
Best Idioms about Winter
1. Dead of winter
Meaning: The coldest, darkest part of winter.
In a Sentence:
It’s hard to find fresh produce in the dead of winter.
The house felt particularly desolate in the dead of winter.
Other Ways to Say: Midwinter, Deep winter, Heart of winter, Coldest period
2. Snowed under
Meaning: Having too much work to do; overwhelmed with tasks.
In a Sentence:
I’m completely snowed under with assignments this week.
The accounting department is snowed under during tax season.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Swamped, Buried in work, Busy
3. Walking on thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or precarious situation; doing something that could easily lead to trouble.
In a Sentence:
After his third late arrival, he’s definitely walking on thin ice with his boss.
The country is walking on thin ice with its current economic policies.
Other Ways to Say: Taking a risk, In a dangerous situation, Precarious, Risky behavior
4. Snowball effect
Meaning: A situation in which something increases in size or importance at a faster and faster rate.
In a Sentence:
The small protest quickly grew into a massive movement due to a snowball effect.
One small mistake can lead to a snowball effect of problems.
Other Ways to Say: Cumulative effect, Exponential growth, Chain reaction, Escalation
5. Break the ice
Meaning: To do or say something to relieve tension or start a conversation in a new social situation.
In a Sentence:
To break the ice at the meeting, we played a quick game.
A good joke can often break the ice with new acquaintances.
Other Ways to Say: Start a conversation, Relieve tension, Initiate interaction, Make comfortable
6. Out in the cold
Meaning: Excluded from a group or from benefits; left without help or consideration.
In a Sentence:
After the merger, many old employees felt they were left out in the cold.
Without a valid ticket, he was left out in the cold, unable to attend the concert.
Other Ways to Say: Excluded, Left out, Ignored, Disregarded
7. Put something on ice
Meaning: To postpone or delay something; to save something for later.
In a Sentence:
Let’s put that project on ice for a few months until we have more resources.
They decided to put the celebratory champagne on ice until the deal was finalized.
Other Ways to Say: Postpone, Delay, Halt, Suspend, Reserve
8. Cold shoulder
Meaning: To intentionally ignore someone or treat them in an unfriendly way.
In a Sentence:
After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder all evening.
He received the cold shoulder from his colleagues after his promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Ignore, Snub, Be unfriendly, Disregard
9. Tip of the iceberg
Meaning: Only a small, visible part of a much larger, often hidden problem or situation.
In a Sentence:
The reported fraud was just the tip of the iceberg; the real corruption was much deeper.
These few symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg for her underlying health issues.
Other Ways to Say: Small part of a larger problem, Surface indication, Initial sign
10. Cold feet
Meaning: A loss of courage or confidence just before doing something important.
In a Sentence:
He got cold feet about the wedding and called it off.
She almost got cold feet before her presentation, but she pushed through.
Other Ways to Say: Loss of nerve, Apprehension, Hesitation, Frightened
11. Cold snap
Meaning: A sudden, brief period of very cold weather.
In a Sentence:
We’re expecting a cold snap next week, so bundle up!
The unseasonal cold snap damaged some of the crops.
Other Ways to Say: Sudden cold spell, Brief freeze, Short cold period
12. Pure as the driven snow
Meaning: Completely innocent and morally uncorrupted. (Often used ironically).
In a Sentence:
She acts as if she’s pure as the driven snow, but I know her past.
The politician claimed to be pure as the driven snow, despite the accusations.
Other Ways to Say: Innocent, Virtuous, Blameless, Untainted
13. Blanket of snow
Meaning: A thick, continuous layer of snow covering an area.
In a Sentence:
A fresh blanket of snow covered the entire landscape overnight.
The town was transformed under a thick blanket of snow.
Other Ways to Say: Layer of snow, Snow cover, Snowfall
14. Cold comfort
Meaning: Little or no comfort; something that offers only slight relief in a bad situation.
In a Sentence:
It was cold comfort to know I passed the exam, but still failed the course.
The small refund was cold comfort after the extensive damages.
Other Ways to Say: Little consolation, Small relief, Slight comfort, Poor reassurance
15. When hell freezes over
Meaning: Never; absolutely never (used to emphasize impossibility).
In a Sentence:
He’ll apologize to me when hell freezes over.
I’ll agree to that ridiculous proposal when hell freezes over.
Other Ways to Say: Never, Impossible, Not a chance, No way
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Snow and Frozen Feelings
16. Freeze up
Meaning: To become nervous and unable to move or speak; for a machine to stop working.
In a Sentence:
She tends to freeze up during public speaking.
My computer tends to freeze up when I open too many programs.
Other Ways to Say: Panic, Become paralyzed, Get stuck, Malfunction
17. To run hot and cold
Meaning: To keep changing one’s mind or attitude about something; to be inconsistent.
In a Sentence:
His opinion on the project keeps running hot and cold.
She runs hot and cold with her interest in hobbies.
Other Ways to Say: Inconsistent, Fickle, Undecided, Wavering
18. Bundle up
Meaning: To dress warmly, especially in many layers of clothing.
In a Sentence:
It’s freezing outside, so make sure to bundle up before you go out.
We had to bundle up for the winter hike.
Other Ways to Say: Dress warmly, Layer up, Wrap up
19. Snug as a bug in a rug
Meaning: Very warm, comfortable, and cozy.
In a Sentence:
The baby was sleeping soundly, snug as a bug in a rug.
After building a fire, we were snug as a bug in a rug in the cabin.
Other Ways to Say: Cozy, Comfortable, Warm, Secure
20. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling slightly ill or unwell.
In a Sentence:
I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll work from home.
She was under the weather and couldn’t attend the party.
Other Ways to Say: Unwell, Sick, Ill, Ailing
21. Cold as ice
Meaning: Extremely cold; also, emotionally unfeeling or heartless.
In a Sentence:
His hands were cold as ice after playing outside.
Her reaction to the news was cold as ice, showing no emotion.
Other Ways to Say: Freezing, Very cold, Unemotional, Heartless
22. Black ice
Meaning: A thin, transparent layer of ice on a surface, often difficult to see, making it very dangerous.
In a Sentence:
Be careful driving, there’s a lot of black ice on the roads this morning.
The car spun out on a patch of black ice.
Other Ways to Say: Invisible ice, Dangerous ice, Glaze ice
23. Brass monkey weather
Meaning: Very cold weather (from the phrase “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey”).
In a Sentence:
It’s brass monkey weather out there; I can’t believe it’s so cold.
Make sure you wear extra layers, it’s brass monkey weather.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely cold, Freezing, Bitterly cold, Arctic conditions
24. Catch your death of cold
Meaning: To get a very bad cold or illness (often used as a warning).
In a Sentence:
Put on a coat or you’ll catch your death of cold!
Don’t go out with wet hair, you’ll catch your death of cold.
Other Ways to Say: Get very sick, Catch a severe cold, Become ill
25. Ice in your veins
Meaning: To be very calm and unemotional in a stressful situation; fearless.
In a Sentence:
The poker player had ice in his veins, never showing any emotion.
The surgeon performed the delicate operation with ice in his veins.
Other Ways to Say: Calm under pressure, Unflappable, Fearless, Composed
26. Skating on thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or precarious situation; doing something that could easily lead to trouble. (Similar to ‘walking on thin ice’).
In a Sentence:
His recent behavior means he’s skating on thin ice at work.
The country’s economy is skating on thin ice with so much debt.
Other Ways to Say: Taking a risk, In a dangerous situation, Precarious, Risky behavior
27. Freeze someone out
Meaning: To exclude someone from a group or activity by being unfriendly or uncooperative.
In a Sentence:
They tried to freeze him out of the conversation.
The clique at school tried to freeze her out.
Other Ways to Say: Exclude, Shun, Isolate, Ostracize
28. Cold hands, warm heart
Meaning: A person who may seem unfriendly or reserved at first but is actually kind and caring.
In a Sentence:
Don’t be fooled by his quiet demeanor; he has cold hands, warm heart.
She might seem distant, but she’s a cold hands, warm heart type of person.
Other Ways to Say: Reserved but kind, Outwardly cold but inwardly warm, Generous despite appearance
29. In the depths of winter
Meaning: The coldest and most severe part of the winter season. (Similar to ‘dead of winter’).
In a Sentence:
Life can be quite challenging in the depths of winter without proper heating.
They endured harsh conditions in the depths of winter.
Other Ways to Say: Midwinter, Deep winter, Height of winter, Coldest time
30. Snowed in
Meaning: Unable to leave a place because of heavy snow.
In a Sentence:
We were snowed in for three days during the blizzard.
The mountain lodge often gets snowed in during the peak winter months.
Other Ways to Say: Trapped by snow, Isolated by snow, Immobilized by snow
31. Cold light of day
Meaning: When something is considered clearly and realistically, without emotion or illusion.
In a Sentence:
In the cold light of day, his grand plan didn’t seem so brilliant.
After a good night’s sleep, I could see the problem in the cold light of day.
Other Ways to Say: Realistically, Objectively, Clear-eyed, Dispassionately
32. Ice over
Meaning: To become covered with ice.
In a Sentence:
The pond began to ice over as temperatures dropped.
The car windshield will ice over if you leave it outside overnight.
Other Ways to Say: Freeze, Become icy, Glaze over
33. Like a snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: Having no chance at all; absolutely impossible. (Similar to ‘not a snowball’s chance in hell’).
In a Sentence:
He has about a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the election.
You have a snowball’s chance in hell of convincing her now.
Other Ways to Say: No chance, Impossible, Unlikely, Futile
34. Frosty reception
Meaning: An unfriendly or cool welcome.
In a Sentence:
They received a frosty reception from the new committee members.
After his outburst, he expected a frosty reception from his family.
Other Ways to Say: Cold welcome, Unfriendly greeting, Cool reception, Hostile welcome
35. Winter of discontent
Meaning: A period of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or social unrest (allusion to Shakespeare’s Richard III).
In a Sentence:
The country experienced a winter of discontent due to economic hardship.
Many employees faced a winter of discontent after the new policies were announced.
Other Ways to Say: Period of unrest, Time of dissatisfaction, Unhappy phase, Turmoil
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Cold That Add Icy Impact
36. Chill to the bone
Meaning: To feel extremely cold.
In a Sentence:
The biting wind chilled me to the bone.
After falling in the icy water, I was chilled to the bone.
Other Ways to Say: Freezing cold, Very cold, Shivering, Numb with cold
37. Cold as a witch’s tit
Meaning: Extremely cold (vulgar, informal).
In a Sentence:
It’s cold as a witch’s tit out there; don’t forget your hat.
The water in the lake was cold as a witch’s tit.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely cold, Freezing, Bitterly cold
38. Icy stare
Meaning: A very cold, unfriendly, or disapproving look.
In a Sentence:
She silenced him with an icy stare.
He felt uncomfortable under his boss’s icy stare.
Other Ways to Say: Glacial look, Cold gaze, Stare of disapproval, Piercing look
39. Snow job
Meaning: A deceptive or insincere story, explanation, or effort meant to mislead or impress.
In a Sentence:
Don’t fall for his snow job; he’s just trying to get what he wants.
The salesperson gave us a real snow job about the car’s features.
Other Ways to Say: Deception, Trickery, Misleading story, Con job
40. Freeze your tail off
Meaning: To be extremely cold (informal).
In a Sentence:
I was freezing my tail off waiting for the bus in this weather.
Make sure you bundle up, or you’ll freeze your tail off.
Other Ways to Say: Very cold, Freezing, Bitterly cold, Chilled to the bone
41. On ice
Meaning: Postponed or kept for later; also, in prison. (Similar to ‘put something on ice’).
In a Sentence:
The plans for the new building are currently on ice.
He’s been on ice for five years for that crime.
Other Ways to Say: Postponed, Deferred, In suspension, In custody
42. Cold fish
Meaning: A person who is unemotional, unsympathetic, or aloof.
In a Sentence:
He’s a cold fish; it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking.
She’s known as a cold fish in the office, rarely smiling or interacting.
Other Ways to Say: Unemotional person, Aloof, Insensitive, Impassive
43. Chilled to the marrow
Meaning: Extremely cold, feeling the cold deeply throughout one’s body. (Similar to ‘chill to the bone’).
In a Sentence:
The wind blew right through my coat, leaving me chilled to the marrow.
After hours outside, I was chilled to the marrow.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely cold, Deeply cold, Frozen inside, Numb with cold
44. Snow under pressure
Meaning: To be overwhelmed by stress or demands. (Similar to ‘snowed under’, but emphasizing pressure).
In a Sentence:
She tends to snow under pressure when deadlines approach.
The team began to snow under pressure with all the unexpected changes.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed by pressure, Crumble under stress, Succumb to demands
45. Ice the deal
Meaning: To finalize a negotiation or agreement successfully.
In a Sentence:
His excellent presentation helped them ice the deal with the new client.
We just need to iron out a few details to ice the deal.
Other Ways to Say: Finalize agreement, Conclude negotiation, Secure a deal, Seal the agreement
46. Cold sweat
Meaning: A state of fear, anxiety, or illness, often accompanied by clammy skin.
In a Sentence:
He woke up in a cold sweat after a terrifying nightmare.
The thought of public speaking makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Other Ways to Say: Profuse sweating from fear, Nervousness, Anxiety, Fear-induced perspiration
47. Like ice water in your veins
Meaning: To be extremely calm and fearless, especially in a dangerous or stressful situation. (Similar to ‘ice in your veins’).
In a Sentence:
The detective had ice water in his veins as he confronted the suspect.
She faced the challenge with ice water in her veins, showing no fear.
Other Ways to Say: Calm under pressure, Fearless, Composed, Unflustered
48. Frost over
Meaning: To become covered with frost; figuratively, to become unfriendly or cold in manner.
In a Sentence:
The car windows frosted over during the night.
Her face seemed to frost over when he mentioned the sensitive topic.
Other Ways to Say: Become frosty, Become cold, Glaze over, Become unfriendly
49. Shiver down your spine
Meaning: A sudden feeling of fear, excitement, or chill.
In a Sentence:
The spooky story sent a shiver down my spine.
Hearing that song always sends a shiver down my spine.
Other Ways to Say: Goosebumps, Tremble, Thrill, Scare
50. Cold turkey
Meaning: To abruptly stop an addictive behavior or habit.
In a Sentence:
He decided to quit smoking cold turkey after years of trying to cut down.
Giving up coffee cold turkey can lead to severe headaches.
Other Ways to Say: Abruptly stop, Instantly quit, Suddenly cease, Without tapering
Exercise to Practice – Idioms About Winter
- During the blizzard, we were completely _________________________ for two days, unable to leave the house.
- The small argument between friends quickly escalated due to a _________________________, turning into a major conflict.
- He tried to _________________________ with the new team members by telling a funny story.
- After the company downsized, several long-term employees found themselves suddenly _________________________.
- Let’s _________________________ this discussion for now and revisit it next week when we have more information.
- She gave him the _________________________ after he forgot her birthday.
- The small amount of debt was just the _________________________ of a much larger financial problem in the company.
- He got _________________________ just before the performance and almost couldn’t go on stage.
- We woke up to a beautiful _________________________ covering everything outside.
- The news that the project was still going forward offered only _________________________ to the laid-off workers.
Answer Key
- snowed in
- snowball effect
- break the ice
- out in the cold
- put on ice
- cold shoulder
- tip of the iceberg
- cold feet
- blanket of snow
- cold comfort
Conclusion
So, don’t let the winter season leave your vocabulary out in the cold! Mastering these Idioms about Winter will empower your communication, allowing you to express yourself with nuance and flair. Ready to break the ice and truly shine? Start incorporating these vivid expressions into your conversations today and experience the difference!
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
