sea breeze

American  

noun

1. a thermally produced wind blowing from a cool ocean surface onto adjoining warm land.

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sea breeze British  

noun

1. a wind blowing from the sea to the land, esp during the day when the land surface is warmer

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sea breeze Cultural  

1. The breeze that blows from the sea toward the land during the day, as air rising over the warmer land is replaced by cooler air from above the sea. (Compare land breeze.)

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Etymology

Origin of sea breeze

First recorded in 1690–1700

Compare meaning

How does sea-breeze compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• land breeze vs. sea breeze

Example Sentences

"It wasn't there in my childhood" in Lahore, said the 45-year-old who now lives in coastal Karachi, where the sea breeze no longer saves residents from smog.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

And warmer waters can reduce the cooling effect that coastal populations would usually get from the sea breeze.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025

Thousands of colorful parasols fluttered in the sea breeze, and people dipped into the waves.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2024

What would normally have been a pleasant sea breeze along the eastern coast of Florida was instead a hazy plume of smoke on Tuesday.

From New York Times • Oct. 3, 2023

But then he was outside and the sea breeze found him again and chucked him lightly under the chin.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt