downwind
Americanadverb
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in the direction toward which the wind is blowing.
We coasted downwind.
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on or toward the lee side.
The lion was running downwind of us and caught our scent.
adjective
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moving downwind.
a downwind current.
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situated on or toward the lee side.
The downwind halyard blew outboard.
adverb
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in the same direction towards which the wind is blowing; with the wind from behind
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towards or on the side away from the wind; leeward
Etymology
Origin of downwind
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A gale-force storm was coming, so the skipper set course downwind for the tiny port of Sandhamn in southern Sweden, where the group sheltered for four nights, according to German investigators.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
On the island's downwind side, the satellite captured von Kármán vortex streets, which look like repeating swirls spinning in opposite directions.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
In fiscal 2023, only 12% of Micron’s sales were downwind of AI data-center spending.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
Some brightness is possible downwind of high ground.
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2025
I knew they were much closer than they sounded as they were downwind from us.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
