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.
An October 1992 Texaco refinery explosion in Wilmington blew out windows, shook houses like an earthquake and puffed out potentially toxic vapor that went downwind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 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
“There’s some residual. We could smell it downwind a little ways.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
The highlight of his round was an eagle-three on the downwind par-five 11th.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
I’m counting on us being downwind to keep the smoke from Aaron.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
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.
