German word

Witterung

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈvɪtɐʊ̯ŋ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhint

Example

Er spürte die Witterung eines Betrugs.

He sensed a hint of fraud.

Illustration for Witterung (hint)

More examples

Bei guter Witterung fahren viele Menschen ans Meer.

In good weather, many people go to the seaside.

Core concept

A nose catching a faint trail that points toward hidden trouble.

Common phrases

  • bei schlechter Witterung

    in bad weather

  • die Witterung eines Skandals

    the scent of a scandal

Similar words

Verdacht: A strong belief that wrongdoing has occurred.
Vermutung: A guess about what is likely based on limited information.
Hinweis: An observable sign pointing to a fact or situation.
Ahnung: A vague intuition about something, with little supporting evidence.

Definition in German

Witterung ist das Erfassen von Andeutungen oder Geruch, das einen Verdacht oder ein Gefühl für eine Lage hervorruft.

Word origin

Witterung is formed with the noun-forming suffix -ung from German wittern, meaning to scent or detect signs.

Usage tips

  • In the phrase "die Witterung aufnehmen," Witterung means a scent or lead, not weather; it is feminine: die Witterung.

Other meanings

  • scentnoun
  • weathernoun

Related words

  • Witterungsprognoseweather forecastnoun
  • witterungsabhängigweather-dependentadjective

Word lists with this word