sky
noun /skaɪ/
/skaɪ/
[countable, uncountable] (plural skies)
Idioms - the space above the earth that you can see when you look up, where clouds and the sun, moon and stars appear You usually say the sky. When sky is used with an adjective, use a… sky. You can also use the plural form skies, especially when you are thinking about the great extent of the sky.
- The sky suddenly went dark and it started to rain.
- in the sky What's that in the sky?
- The sun was shining brightly and there was not a single cloud in the sky.
- across the sky White clouds moved swiftly across the sky.
- the night sky
- a cloudless sky
- cloudless skies
- a land of blue skies and sunshine
- Clear skies could well mean temperatures plummeting tonight.
- under a sky A crowd had gathered in the square under an overcast sky.
- meteors falling from the sky
- sky over/above something The skies above London were ablaze with a spectacular firework display.
Collocations The weatherThe weatherGood weathersee also blue-sky- 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 Weathera2- Astronomers scan the night skies for asteroids.
- Black clouds spread across the sky.
- Flocks of flamingoes fill the sky.
- Some vintage aircraft will be taking to the skies (= flying) at this weekend's fair.
- The afternoon sky turned orange.
- The eagle was black against the early morning sky.
- The rain stopped and the skies cleared.
- We slept under the open sky.
- the vast desert skies
- to patrol the skies over the Atlantic
- The early morning sun rose into the sky.
- The moon is a little higher in the sky now.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- vast
- wide
- …
- patch
- illuminate
- light up
- fill
- …
- clear
- clear up
- lighten
- …
- across the sky
- against the sky
- beneath a… sky
- …
- high in the sky
- low in the sky
- the sky above
- …
Word OriginMiddle English (also in the plural denoting clouds), from Old Norse ský ‘cloud’. The verb dates from the early 19th cent.
Idioms
the great… in the sky
- (humorous) used to refer to where a particular person is imagined to go when they die or a thing when it is no longer working, similar to the place they were connected with on earth
- Their pet rabbit had gone to the great rabbit hutch in the sky.
pie in the sky
- (informal) an event that somebody talks about that seems very unlikely to happen
- This talk of moving to Australia is all just pie in the sky.
praise somebody/something to the skies
- to praise somebody/something a lot
- Her manager praised her to the skies.
the sky’s the limit
- (informal) there is no limit to what somebody can achieve, earn, do, etc.
- With a talent like his, the sky's the limit.