autumn
gb/ˈɔtəm/ us/ˈɔtəm/
A1
English
~ 2300
ősz, alkony
NOUN
A1
1
ősz
A1
Usage pattern:
[something] happens in autumn
We usually harvest the apples in autumn.
Általában ősszel szüreteljük az almát.
The park is beautiful in autumn when the leaves turn red and gold.
Ősszel gyönyörű a park, amikor a levelek vörösre és aranyszínűre váltanak.
Autumn brings cooler nights and shorter days.
They met one crisp autumn morning.
Autumn in New England is famous for its colors.
Learner examples
Autumn is my favorite season.
Az ősz a kedvenc évszakom.
It gets cold in autumn.
Ősszel hideg lesz.
The leaves are red in autumn.
We go back to school in autumn.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'autumn' with 'fall'; both mean the same season, but 'fall' is more common in American English.
Meaning
Season after summer and before winter
Collocations
in autumn
|autumn leaves
|autumn weather
|autumn colours
|autumn breeze
Synonyms
fall (Used mainly in American English to refer to the same season.)
Antonyms
spring (The season opposite in the yearly cycle, coming after winter and before summer.)
Themes
seasons
|nature
|weather
|time
Definition
The time of year between summer and winter when the weather gets cooler and leaves fall from the trees.
The season of the year between summer and winter, characterized by cooler temperatures and the falling of leaves from deciduous trees.
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
2
alkony
C1
Usage pattern:
in the autumn of [someone's] life/career
He wrote his most famous book in the autumn of his career.
Leghíresebb könyvét pályája alkonyán írta.
They spent their autumn years traveling the world.
Életük alkonyát azzal töltötték, hogy beutazták a világot.
In the autumn of her life, she found peace in painting.
Learner examples
He is in the autumn of his life.
Élete alkonyán jár.
She works less in her autumn years.
Élete alkonyán kevesebbet dolgozik.
They enjoy travel in their autumn years.
Common mistake:
Some learners may take this figurative meaning literally and confuse it with the season.
Meaning
Later stage of life or career
Collocations
autumn of his life
|autumn years
|in her autumn
Synonyms
twilight (Figurative; often suggests the fading or closing phase of life or career.)
Antonyms
springtime (Figurative; suggests youth or early stage of life.)
Themes
life stages
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A poetic way to talk about the later years of a person’s life or work.
A figurative term for the later period of someone's life or career, often suggesting maturity or approaching old age.
Grammar
Dictionary form
autumn
IPA
GB/ˈɔtəm/
US/ˈɔtəm/
Syllables & stress
au - tumn (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (au)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: autumn
- Plural: autumns
Word family
Expressions
autumn years
1/ˈɔtəm jˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
literary
Later years of life
The later years of a person’s life, usually after retirement.
Examples
- They spent their autumn years by the sea.
- He enjoys gardening in his autumn years.
in the autumn of one's life
1/ˈɪn ðə ˈɔtəm əv wˈʌnz lˈaɪf/
idiom
literary
Later period in someone's life
At an older age, near the end of a person’s life.
Examples
- She learned to play the piano in the autumn of her life.
- In the autumn of his life, he moved to a quiet village.