Different ways to say- 'It's cold!'

The weather is cold outside and you cannot be repeating the same phrase every day - 'it's cold!' When you head out in the dead of winter, the first thing that comes out of your mouth is "How cold is it!" Well, if it is cold outside, you might want to learn some new phrases if you are going to say it over and over again. 

I have compiled some of the best phrases to describe the situation out there when it is cold. You can use them alternatively or whatever suits you more. Native English speakers use these cool phrases to describe the weather or talk about the cold. Now, you can also speak like a native speaker that "it's nippy! I don't like it."

Here are the different ways to say 'it's cold'. Use these expressions to express the weather.

1. It's freezing

Say "it's freezing out here" if you are outside and feel the cold or simply say "it's freezing" irrespective of outside or inside. This phrase is the most common phrase used to describe the cold apart from the one that we are trying to replace- "it's cold!" Use this phrase when it actually is freezing outside and you can see everything covered in snow around you. ''It's freezing" literally means that it is so cold that one might freeze. So, use it when it's actually really cold. 

2. It's nippy

If it is nippy outside, you might need a cold. Nippy means chilly. You can also say- "there's a nip in the air". Nip means sharp stinging cold. Now, it is not necessary that there is a nip in the air only if it is snowy. It can get really cold in some areas without snow too. So, if you are feeling a very cold breeze that just chills you at the instance you feet it, then ''there is a nip in the air'' or ''it's nippy."

3. It's chilly

"It's a chilly day" means that it is noticeably cold that day or one can simply say ''it's chilly''. So use it when it is just noticeably cold outside. You can also use it in a sentence like this- "you must be chilly without a coat on." It means that ''you must be feeling cold as you are not wearing a coat." The word 'chill' means a sensation of cold accompanied by shivering like you have when you bathe in the winters. So, it can be used in a sentence like this- "he had caught a chill that night, and was now down with fever." 

Chill also means an intense shivery sensation, especially one caused by fear or any strong emotion. You sure must have heard- "that sends a chill down my spine"- it means a shiver due to fear. People often say "there's a chill in the air", which means a moderate but disagreeable degree of cold. Some more examples- "He closed the window to keep out the chill." "If you have cough, fever, and chills, you should see a doctor."

4. It's arctic outside

We have all heard about the arctic region of Earth which is the North Pole and the region near it. The Arctic means ' bitterly cold' or 'frigid'. We can use it in a sentence like this- "the arctic air of deep winter gave me chills." Use this phrase when it is so cold outside that you feel you are at the North Pole. There is no better explanation than this! 

Frigid is another word we used here, it also means intensely cold and we can use it like this- 'frigid water,' used for the water that is really cold. So now instead of saying 'cold water' you can just say 'frigid water'. Some more examples of frigid (intensely cold)- "The frigid gusts of wind stung their faces."

5. It's like the dead of the winter 

Dead of winter simply means in the middle of winter when it is the most cold. So you can use it to simply talk about the winter season when it is at its apex. Here is an example- "You should layer up when you go out in the dead of winter." The phrase 'layer up' is also connected with winters. As we wear multiple clothes on top of each other, we 'layer up'. So the phrase 'layer up' means to wear multiple items of cloth one over the other in order to keep warm. 

6. It's brass monkey weather

This phrase may sound odd but it actually means extreme cold weather. It comes straight from the nineteenth century. You can use it like this- "Accordin to the weather forecast, next week's weather is going to be so cold that it will be brass monkey weather" or use it simply like this- "its brass monkey weather tonight."

7. It's frosty

We say ''it's frosty'' when it is briskly cold. Here is an example of the phrase- "the frosty autumn was the sign of the brutal winter that followed." Frost is the covering of small ice crystals on cold surface. So we can use this word like this- "the grass was covered with frost," or "frost formed on the window." Hence, when it is so cold that frost forms then the weather is 'frosty.'

Well it's frosty or not, it sure is really cold and all of the above mentioned phrases are safe to use instead of 'it's cold.' So speak like a native speaker and be fluent in English with regular practice. Try to repeat these phrases and gradually you will get the hang of them. Try one phrase at a time and see how it goes. Just remember, practice is the key.