upwind

American  

[uhp-wind, uhp-wind] / ˈʌpˈwɪnd, ˈʌpˌwɪnd /

adverb

1. toward or against the wind or the direction from which it is blowing.

   The hunters stalked upwind.

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adjective

1. moving or situated toward or in the direction from which the wind is blowing.

   an upwind leap; the upwind portions of the aircraft.

noun

1. a wind that blows against one's course or up a slope.

upwind British  

/ ˈʌpˈwɪnd /

adverb

1. into or against the wind

2. towards or on the side where the wind is blowing; windward

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adjective

1. going against the wind

   the upwind leg of the course

2. on the windward side

   the upwind side of the house has weathered

Etymology

Origin of upwind

First recorded in 1830–40; up- + wind ¹

Example Sentences

The extreme Santa Ana winds rapidly spread fires whose ignition points were in a worst-case locations — just upwind of heavily populated areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Trees in the western Amazon receive about 50% of their water from trees upwind, Saleska said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

Satellites also provide crucial information on fire locations and upwind pollution needed for forecasting where the smoke will go and how bad pollution levels will be.

From Scientific American • Jun. 16, 2023

However, the wind energy industry has almost universally adopted the upwind, three-bladed design so selling a new concept is difficult, Prof Pao explains.

From BBC • May 8, 2023

A fox trying to catch a rabbit usually creeps upwind under cover—perhaps through a patch of woodland to the edge.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams