- [countable] a light wind
- a sea breeze
- A light breeze was blowing.
- in the breeze The flowers were gently swaying in the breeze.
Collocations The weatherThe weatherGood weather- be bathed in/bask in/be blessed with/enjoy bright/brilliant/glorious sunshine
- the sun shines/warms something/beats down (on something)
- the sunshine breaks/streams through something
- fluffy/wispy clouds drift across the sky
- a gentle/light/stiff/cool/warm/sea breeze blows in/comes in off the sea
- the snow crunches beneath/under somebody’s feet/boots
- thick/dark/storm clouds form/gather/roll in/cover the sky/block out the sun
- the sky darkens/turns black
- a fine mist hangs in the air
- a dense/heavy/thick fog rolls in
- the rain falls/comes down (in buckets/sheets)/pours down
- snow falls/comes down/covers something
- the wind blows/whistles/howls/picks up/whips through something/sweeps across something
- strong/gale-force winds blow/gust (up to 80 mph)
- a storm is approaching/is moving inland/hits/strikes/rages
- thunder rolls/rumbles/sounds
- (forked/sheet) lightning strikes/hits/flashes
- a (blinding/snow) blizzard hits/strikes/blows/rages
- a tornado touches down/hits/strikes/destroys something/rips through something
- forecast/expect/predict rain/snow/a category-four hurricane
- (North American English) pour (down)/ (British English) pour (down) with rain
- get caught in/seek shelter from/escape the rain
- be covered/shrouded in mist/a blanket of fog
- be in for/brave/shelter from a/the storm
- hear rolling/distant thunder
- be battered/buffeted by strong winds
- (British English) be blowing a gale
- battle against/brave the elements
- the sun breaks through the clouds
- the sky clears/brightens (up)/lightens (up)
- the clouds part/clear
- the rain stops/lets up/holds off
- the wind dies down
- the storm passes
- the mist/fog lifts/clears
Extra ExamplesTopics Weatherb2- A gentle breeze came off the sea.
- A sudden breeze rustled the long dry grass.
- I felt the breeze on my face.
- The cool breeze swept through the trees.
- The curtains fluttered in the night breeze.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- faint
- gentle
- light
- …
- blow
- come
- drift
- …
- feel
- in a/the breeze
- [singular] (informal) a thing that is easy to do
- It was a breeze.
- Going down the hill would be a breeze after the long climb up!
Word Originmid 16th cent.: probably from Old Spanish and Portuguese briza ‘NE wind’ (the original sense in English).
Idioms
See breeze in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryshoot the breeze/bull
- (North American English, informal) to have a conversation in an informal way synonym chat
- We sat around in the bar, shooting the breeze.
Check pronunciation:
breeze