Windy City
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does Windy City mean? Windy City is a popular nickname for Chicago, Illinois. How is Windy City pronounced?[ win-dee sit-ee ]
Etymology
Origin of Windy City
First recorded in 1855–60
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.
Johnson doesn’t go into geopolitical specifics—he mentions California about as much as the Windy City.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
The couple chose the Jackson Park neighbourhood on the South Side for the 19.3-acre campus, near their Windy City home ahead of moving to the White House.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
They’ve become the fall soundtrack of the Windy City to the point organizers are holding “Whistlemania” events to hand them out by the thousands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
The couple, who wed in 2023, have been splitting their time between the Windy City, where they now have a home, and Texas, where Biles is originally from.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
“The point is, get ready to party in the Windy City, graduate.”
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
