wintry
UK: ˈwɪntri | US: ˈwɪntri
adj. characteristic of winter; cold, bleak, or barren
adj. suggestive of winter, especially in being lifeless or dull
The word "wintry" combines "winter," derived from Old English winter, Proto-Germanic wintruz (referring to the coldest season), with the suffix "-y," which forms adjectives meaning "resembling" or "characterized by." The suffix "-y" traces back to Old English -ig, used to create descriptive terms. Together, "wintry" vividly evokes the harsh, cold qualities of winter, extending metaphorically to describe anything bleak or lifeless.
The wintry wind howled through the bare trees.
She shivered in the wintry air, pulling her coat tighter.
His greeting was polite but wintry, lacking warmth.
The landscape looked wintry even in early November.
A wintry gloom settled over the abandoned village.