Apricity
noun /əˈprɪsɪti/ — The warmth of winter sunlight on your skin.
Definition
The warmth of the sun in winter — that particular, unexpected sweetness of sunlight when the air is cold; the pleasure of being warmed by light when warmth is scarce.
Beyond the definition
Apricity is a small joy with an outsized emotional effect. It arrives unexpectedly — a patch of winter sun, a tilted face, a closed-eye moment of warmth. It is the opposite of taking things for granted.
Origin & history
From Latin apricus (exposed to the sun, sunny), from aperire (to open). An archaic English word recorded in 1623, since fallen out of use — a word that deserves to come back.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She found a bench in the apricity and sat without her phone for once.
January apricity — weak and golden, entirely welcome.
There's a particular apricity in February that feels like a promise.
Synonyms
winter warmth, sun's warmth, solar comfort
Antonyms
chill, shade, cold
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Illustrative example
Unexpected Sweetness of Winter Sun
Colourful autumn leaves cover a lawn, bathed in the soft, low, warm light of a late-season afternoon sun.
The warmth of the sun falling on a chilly, autumn lawn represents apricity. It is the unexpected, sweet pleasure of being warmed by light when the surrounding air is cold, creating a moment of sensory relief.
Image credit: Jules Verne Times Two · CC BY-SA 4.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.