Umbrella Definition: Pronunciation, Idioms, and Real Examples

Here are simple examples that show how to use “umbrella” to talk about habits, memorable moments, and bad weather.

If you don’t want to say the word how it is, you can use the “umbrella” synonyms below. Related terms will allow you to discuss the reason you need to take an umbrella with you, whether it’s wet or sunny.

Related nouns: rain sun

Synonyms (contextual): rain cover parasol

Common collocations: open umbrella broken umbrella

These patterns will help you accurately describe this accessory, talk about what you do with it, and understand native speakers when they describe what happened to their umbrellas.

With adjectives: big umbrella small umbrella red umbrella new umbrella

With verbs: close umbrella hold umbrella buy umbrella forget umbrella

With nouns (noun + noun): umbrella stand umbrella shop

An umbrella can be interpreted as a sign of protection against not only the rain but also hardships when a person invites you to share one with him or her. Look at its usage in idioms and expressions and learn what “umbrella” means in each case:

• Beach umbrella — a large, bright-colored umbrella that can provide you with shade at the beach.

  After a day-long sit in the coolness provided by the beach umbrella, we didn’t want to leave this beautiful place.

• Under the umbrella — to offer someone the utmost shelter.

  I’m on your side. You can hide under my umbrella.

You’ve learned collocations, phrases, and formation, so now it’s time to try these exercises to practice what you learned about “umbrella” in English. Tap into this engaging quiz and learn your score.

Want to know how to say “umbrella” in other languages? Here’s the word in three European languages. Understanding these variations can help you remember new vocabulary and recognize patterns across languages.

How old are umbrellas? Where does this word come from? These interesting facts will help you understand the meaning of “umbrella” better.

• Umbrellas are more than 4,000 years old.

  People in ancient Egypt and China made the first umbrellas. They used them to stay cool in the sun, not to stay dry in the rain. Only rich and important people had umbrellas back then.

• The word comes from Italian, meaning “little shade.”

  “Umbrella” comes from the Italian word “ombrella,” which means “small shade.” This shows us that umbrellas were first made to block the sun, not rain.

• Special umbrellas can fight strong winds.

  New umbrellas from Blunt and GustBuster are very strong and don’t break easily in the wind. Some can stay open even when the wind is very strong. They use special materials that bend but don’t break.

• The largest umbrella mosaic was achieved by people from the Philippines.

  More than 5,000 participants stood in rows, holding green, white, and black umbrellas, to form a picture with the primary goal of making education more accessible. It was noted by Guinness World Records.

Exploring how famous people, writers, musicians, and thinkers use the term “umbrella” in memorable quotes helps you appreciate the figurative and symbolic meanings beyond its literal definition.