southwesterly

[ south-wes-ter-lee; Nautical sou-wes-ter-lee ]

/ ˌsaʊθˈwɛs tər li; Nautical ˌsaʊˈwɛs tər li /

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adjective, adverb

toward or from the southwest.

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Origin of southwesterly

1700–10; southwest + -erly (see easterly)

Words nearby southwesterly

southwest, South West Africa, southwest by south, southwest by west, southwester, southwesterly, southwesterner, southwestward, southwestwardly, southwestwards, South Whittier

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use southwesterly in a sentence

Sunshine and west-southwesterly breezes help boost temperatures higher, from the upper 20s to low 30s early this morning, to afternoon highs in the mid- to upper 50s.
D.C.-area forecast: Mild and mostly bright into midweek, except for tomorrow’s chill|A. Camden Walker|February 27, 2022|Washington Post
High temperatures should get a boost from moderate south-southwesterly breezes, topping out in the mid-50s.
D.C.-area forecast: Wind chills in the 30s today but plentiful sunshine may help a bit|A. Camden Walker|November 19, 2021|Washington Post
Elsewhere, we could see some upper 50s, but dew points will slowly creep up, thanks to a light southwesterly breeze bringing moisture in from the south.
D.C.-area forecast: Breezy today but rain-free and sunny for days to come|A. Camden Walker|September 10, 2021|Washington Post
On March 19, lava roared out of the ground in the uninhabited valley of Geldingadalur, marking the first time in 800 years that this southwesterly strip of land has been rocked by an eruption.
Iceland’s Eruptions Reveal the Hot History of Mars|Robin George Andrews|April 6, 2021|Quanta Magazine

High temperatures should get to around 50 degrees, with mid-50s possible if a warmer southwesterly breeze can boost us even higher.
D.C.-area forecast: Spotty light wintry mix ends this morning. Clearer but cold and brisk this weekend.|A. Camden Walker|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
The temperature reached ninety-nine degrees earlier in the day as a wall of hot southwesterly winds stalled over the city.
The Man Oswald First Tried to Kill Before JFK|Bill Minutaglio, Steven L. Davis|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They had proceeded away from the camp in a southwesterly direction for a full quarter of a mile when Tad halted.
The Pony Rider Boys on the Blue Ridge|Frank Gee Patchin
The Appalachian range trends southwesterly and its influence upon the expansion of the colonies is most significant.
Historic Highways of America (Vol. 5)|Archer Butler Hulbert
For the next fourteen days, nothing remarkable occurred in the march, which had been in a southwesterly direction.
Stanley's Adventures in the Wilds of Africa|Joel Tyler Headley and William Fletcher Johnson
The further he drove upon his southwesterly course, the emptier were the well-known thoroughfares.
The Shadow of the Rope|E. W. Hornung
This stream before us appears to head in a southwesterly direction as near as I can judge.
The River of Darkness|William Murray Graydon

British Dictionary definitions for southwesterly

southwesterly

/ (ˌsaʊθˈwɛstəlɪ, nautical ˌsaʊˈwɛstəlɪ) /

adjective, adverb

in, towards, or (esp of a wind) from the southwest

noun plural -lies

a wind or storm from the southwest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012