shoulder season: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal to neutral, common in travel, tourism, and marketing contexts.
Quick answer
What does “shoulder season” mean?
The period between the peak (high) and off-peak (low) seasons in tourism, travel, and certain industries.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The period between the peak (high) and off-peak (low) seasons in tourism, travel, and certain industries.
A transitional time characterized by fewer crowds, lower prices, and often more moderate weather compared to the main season, applicable to destinations, events, and retail.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Term is used identically in meaning. Spelling remains the same.
Connotations
Slightly more established in American travel marketing, but fully understood and used in the UK.
Frequency
Equally frequent in professional travel contexts in both varieties; perhaps slightly higher general public recognition in North America.
Grammar
How to Use “shoulder season” in a Sentence
The [DESTINATION]'s shoulder season is [TIME].It's cheaper to go during [POSSESSIVE] shoulder season.We avoid the crowds by travelling in the shoulder season.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shoulder season” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We managed to shoulder-season our holiday and saved hundreds.
American English
- We're shoulder-seasoning our trip to get better rates.
adverb
British English
- We travelled shoulder-season to avoid the worst of the heat.
American English
- It's best to fly shoulder-season if your dates are flexible.
adjective
British English
- They offer special shoulder-season rates for autumn bookings.
American English
- Look for shoulder-season deals on the airline's website.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in tourism marketing, hotel pricing strategies, and airline revenue management to promote travel during less busy periods.
Academic
Appears in papers on tourism economics, seasonal employment, and sustainable travel.
Everyday
Used by people discussing holiday plans, looking for cheaper flight deals, or avoiding crowds.
Technical
A defined term in the travel industry for inventory and pricing segmentation between high and low demand periods.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “shoulder season”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “shoulder season”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shoulder season”
- Using 'shoulder season' to mean 'off-season' or 'dead season' (it's specifically the buffer between peak and off).
- Capitalising it as a proper noun (it is not typically capitalised).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Shoulder season is the period between peak (high) season and low (off) season. It typically has moderating conditions and prices, whereas low season is the least popular time, often with the lowest prices but potentially less ideal conditions.
They vary by destination. In many temperate tourist areas, the main shoulder seasons are spring (April-May) and autumn/fall (September-October), surrounding the summer peak. For ski resorts, shoulder seasons might be late autumn and early spring.
Yes, by extension. It can describe similar transitional, moderately busy periods in retail (e.g., between Christmas and Easter), agriculture, or event planning.
It is a compound noun, typically written as two separate words: 'shoulder season'. It is sometimes hyphenated ('shoulder-season') when used as a modifier before a noun (e.g., shoulder-season pricing).
The period between the peak (high) and off-peak (low) seasons in tourism, travel, and certain industries.
Shoulder season is usually informal to neutral, common in travel, tourism, and marketing contexts. in register.
Shoulder season: in British English it is pronounced /ˈʃəʊldə ˌsiːzn̩/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈʃoʊldɚ ˌsizən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To catch the shoulder of the season”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a year's tourism graph as a person's silhouette: the high peak is the head, the low troughs are the feet, and the sloping parts connecting them are the SHOULDERS of the season.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A BODY (The annual cycle of tourist activity is conceptualised as a human form with shoulders).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of a 'shoulder season'?