How do you use "Brick" in a sentence?

Don't even bother going outside — it's mad brick out there. I forgot my jacket and it was brick walking to the subway. It's gonna be brick all week — bring your heavy coat.

Brick

Q: What does "Brick" mean?

Extremely cold, used to describe freezing weather. When New Yorkers say it's 'brick' outside, they mean it's brutally cold — the kind of cold that hits you like a wall of bricks when you step outside. It's strictly a weather and temperature term in NYC slang, not used for other contexts. Particularly common during harsh Northeast winters.

American Slang Term American ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Extremely cold, used to describe freezing weather.

极其寒冷，用来形容冰冻的天气。

Extremadamente frío; se usa para describir un tiempo gélido.

極端に寒い。凍えるような天気を表す。

극도로 추운. 얼어붙는 듯한 날씨를 표현할 때 사용.

When New Yorkers say it's 'brick' outside, they mean it's brutally cold — the kind of cold that hits you like a wall of bricks when you step outside. It's strictly a weather and temperature term in NYC slang, not used for other contexts. Particularly common during harsh Northeast winters.

纽约人说外面brick的时候，意思是冷得要命——那种一走出门就像撞上一堵砖墙的冷。在纽约俚语中，这严格用于描述天气和温度，不用于其他场景。在东北部严冬期间尤为常用。

Cuando los neoyorquinos dicen que está 'brick' fuera, quieren decir que hace un frío brutal, del tipo que te golpea como un muro de ladrillos al salir. Es estrictamente un término sobre el tiempo y la temperatura en el argot de NYC, no se usa en otros contextos. Especialmente común durante los duros inviernos del noreste.

ニューヨーカーが外が「brick」だと言う時、それは極寒——外に出た瞬間にレンガの壁にぶつかるような寒さを意味する。NYCスラングでは厳密に天気と気温に関する用語で、他の文脈では使わない。特に厳しい北東部の冬によく使われる。

뉴요커들이 밖이 'brick'이라고 하면, 잔인할 정도로 추운 날씨를 뜻한다 — 밖에 나서면 벽돌처럼 딱딱한 추위가 들이닥치는 느낌이다. NYC 슬랭에서 엄밀히 날씨와 온도에만 쓰이고, 다른 맥락에는 사용하지 않는다. 특히 혹독한 북동부의 겨울에 많이 쓰인다.

Examples

Don't even bother going outside — it's mad brick out there.
连出门都别想了——外面冷得要命。
Ni te molestes en salir — hace un frío tremendo (it's mad brick).
外に出る必要もない——めちゃくちゃ寒いから。
밖에 나갈 필요도 없어 — 겁나 추워.
I forgot my jacket and it was brick walking to the subway.
忘了带外套，走到地铁站冻死了。
Me olvidé la chaqueta y hacía un frío que pelaba camino al metro.
ジャケット忘れて地下鉄まで歩くの超寒かった。
재킷을 깜빡하고 지하철까지 걸어가는데 엄청 추웠어.
It's gonna be brick all week — bring your heavy coat.
这周都会冷得要命——带上厚外套。
Va a hacer un frío brutal toda la semana — llévate el abrigo gordo.
今週ずっと極寒だよ——厚手のコート持ってきな。
이번 주 내내 겁나 추울 거야 — 두꺼운 코트 가져와.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: weather talk, casual conversation, texting

Tone: descriptive, complaining

✓ Do Say

It's brick outside today.
It's brick outside today.（今天外面冷死了。）
Hoy hace un frío que pela.
It's brick outside today.（今日は外めちゃくちゃ寒い）
오늘 밖에 겁나 추워.
It was brick last night walking home.
It was brick last night walking home.（昨晚走回家冷得要命。）
Anoche de vuelta a casa hacía un frío que pela.
It was brick last night walking home.（昨夜帰り道が極寒だった）
어젯밤 걸어오는데 겁나 추웠어.

✗ Don't Say

Don't use for things other than weather — 'This test was brick' doesn't work; it's specifically about cold temperatures
不要用来形容天气以外的东西——'This test was brick'说不通；这个词专指寒冷的温度
No lo uses para cosas que no sean el tiempo — 'This test was brick' no funciona; es específicamente sobre temperaturas frías.
天気以外のことには使わない——「This test was brick」は通じない。あくまで寒さに特化した表現
날씨 이외의 것에는 사용하지 말 것 — 'This test was brick'은 틀린 표현이다; 구체적으로 추운 기온에만 쓰인다

Origin & History

Emerged from New York City street slang in the 1990s-2000s. The metaphor likely comes from the idea that cold hits you hard and heavy, like a brick, or that the cold makes everything feel solid and rigid like brick.

Cultural Context

Era: 1990s-2000s

Generation: Millennials

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: New York City