Idiom
Under the weather
If you are under the weather, you feel a little ill or tired, but not seriously sick.
How people use it
This is a gentle, polite way to say you are not feeling well, usually because of a cold, a headache or plain tiredness. The usual verbs are feel, be or seem: "I'm feeling a bit under the weather." People often use it at work to excuse themselves without sharing details. It suggests something mild, so it would sound odd for a serious illness or an injury. Some speakers also use it as a soft way to say someone drank too much, but the main sense is simply slightly unwell. It has nothing to do with being out in bad weather.
Also said: feel under the weather.
Examples
- I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll work from home today.
- Grandpa was under the weather last week, but he's back in his garden now.
- If the baby still seems under the weather tomorrow, we'll call the doctor.
Where it comes from
The phrase is usually linked to life at sea. One common explanation is that a seasick sailor was sent below deck, away from the rough weather, to recover, or that stormy weather itself made people on board feel ill. Uses of "under the weather" meaning unwell appear in American writing in the early 1800s. The sailing story is plausible but not proven, and the phrase may simply reflect the old idea that gloomy weather affects how people feel.
Check yourself
1. Your friend texts that he is under the weather. What does he mean?
Answer: He feels slightly sick. Under the weather means mildly unwell, not wet or upset.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Priya stayed home because she felt under the weather.. The idiom describes how a person feels, not the weather itself.
Word game fan? See every word hiding in WEATHER.