Summer words, coming in hot

Summer words, coming in hot

by Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Updated November 10, 2022

It’s always hot and summery somewhere in the world! If you are looking for an activity best done in air conditioning, then this list of summer words is for you. Let’s learn some different words to describe everything this season brings. 

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Words that describe summer

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is from June 21 to September 22. Many people love to maximize the summer season and do as much as they can. 

Words about summer will include talking about all the activities we do in the summertime. 

Common summer activities are taking a vacation, going to the beach, going swimming and going camping. 

In the United States, Independence Day is celebrated on July 4. A favorite activity to celebrate is to have a cookout. People grill hotdogs and hamburgers and invite friends and family to spend the day together. 

Summer is also a time for planting, growing and harvesting food and flowers. If you have a backyard garden and grow your own food, summer is a bountiful time. 

Learning vocabulary words for summer would not be complete without talking about the weather. We talk about how hot it is and where we can find the best air conditioning. 

Watch this video for ideas to talk about different summer activities. 

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Vocabulary words for summer: verbs

Let’s take a look at a few summer words that are verbs. This list contains single and multi-word verbs you can use to talk about summer. 

VerbExample sentence
SwimWe like to swim in the ocean. Swim is to move your body and stay afloat in the water.
DiveWhen we swim at the pool we can dive off the diving board.Dive is to jump gracefully into the water.
CampFamilies like to camp in national parks.Camp is to build a temporary shelter and sleep in nature.
Pitch a tentIf you go camping you will learn how to pitch a tent. Pitch a tent means to put up or assemble your tent. 
Sleep inKids sleep in during the summer. Sleep in means staying in bed later than the time you normally wake up for school or work.
Take (a) vacationMany families take vacation in summer.Take vacation is the same as going on a holiday.
LoungeSummer is a time to lounge and relax. Lounge is to lie around not doing much.
Mow the grassPeople with lawns need to mow the grass in summer.Mow is to cut the grass.
Crank up the ACWhen it is too hot we crank up the AC. Crank means to turn it up to full-blast.AC is an abbreviation for air conditioning. 
GrillHe grills every day in summer. To grill means to cook food on an outdoor barbecue.
GrowWe grow 5 different types of tomatoes in our garden. Grow vegetables is to plant, water, and tend them until they are ready to pick and eat.

Vocabulary words for summer: nouns

You probably know that many words can be both nouns and verbs. Some of the words in the list above can function as nouns. Grill, lounge, camp and dive can be used as nouns and verbs

  • A grill is a piece of equipment that is used to barbecue meat and vegetables outdoors.
  • A lounge is a room in your house, a hotel or the airport where you can relax. 
  • A camp is an outdoor place where kids go during the summer and sleep overnight in a natural setting. A camp (noun) might have cabins instead of a tent to sleep in.
  • A dive is a style of jumping into water. There are different types of dives. But we also use it as a verb. I like to dive (verb) into the water. I am practicing my dives (noun). 
NounExample Sentence
Air conditioning and ACI can’t live without AC in the summer. 
Flip-flopsShe starts wearing flip-flops as soon as it gets warm outside. Flip-flops are a type of casual sandal common at the beach. 
BeachEvery summer I take a vacation to the beach
MosquitosThe mosquitos attack the children!
BarbecueWe had a barbecue every weekend last summer. Barbecue is another word for a cookout. 
Ice creamThe kids eat ice cream in summer. 
Bathing suit or swimsuitThey forgot their bathing suits
HeatwaveEurope and the United States are suffering from a heatwave. A heatwave is an especially hot period of time.
Swimming lessonsI finally started taking swimming lessons with an instructor and now I know how to swim! 
CampfireNothing says summer like a campfire!The campfire is an outdoor fire built at night while camping.
SandcastleWe build sandcastles at the beach. 

Fun in the summer sun

Summer is just as long as the other seasons, but the season goes fast when you have fun plans. Make the most of your summer with these summer words. Get out there and visit the beach, go camping or have a barbecue! 

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Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her consulting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on Twitter.

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