The phrase “under the weather” means that someone is feeling slightly sick or unwell, either physically or mentally. It is an informal expression that is used to describe someone who is ailing or ill. The phrase presumably alludes to the influence of the weather on one’s health.
The origin of this phrase may have to do with sailing. In older times, when a sailor was feeling seasick, he would be sent below deck so he could get away from being under the harsh weather. The term is correctly “under the weather bow”, which is a gloomy prospect; the weather bow is the side upon which all the rotten weather is blowing.
Some examples of how to use this phrase in a sentence are:
- I’m feeling a bit under the weather – I think I’m getting a cold.
- She was sufficiently under the weather to have to pull out of the championship.
- He’s been under the weather since he’s been on his own.
Some synonyms for this phrase are:
- ill
- unwell
- indisposed
- poorly
- not feeling so hot
- sick as a dog
