noun phrase · neutral
shoulder season
UK/ˈʃəʊldə ˈsiːzn/US/ˈʃoʊldər ˈsiːzən/SHOUL·der SEA·son
The period between peak and low season when visitor numbers and prices are moderate.
Examples
“Travelling during the shoulder season can mean cheaper flights and fewer crowds.”
“Many hotels offer discounts in the shoulder season to attract guests.”
“The weather can be unpredictable in the shoulder season, but that keeps prices down.”
Band 8 sentence
“I usually aim to travel in the shoulder season — the weather is still decent but there are far fewer tourists.”
Collocations
- travel in the shoulder season
- book during the shoulder season
- shoulder season discounts
Word family
Common mistakes
middle season→shoulder season
shoulder‑season→shoulder season
Say it for a higher band
5off season→6off‑peak season→7+shoulder season
Synonyms
off‑peak season
Easily confused
low season
“Many restaurants close during the low season because there are too few customers.”
Related words
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In Travel & Holidays
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