Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

windy

American  
[win-dee] / ˈwɪn di /

adjective

windier, windiest

  1. accompanied or characterized by wind.

    a windy day.

  2. exposed to or swept by the wind.

    a windy hill.

  3. consisting of or resembling wind.

    a windy tempest of activity.

  4. toward the wind; windward.

  5. unsubstantial or empty.

  6. of the nature of, characterized by, or given to prolonged, empty talk; voluble; verbose; bombastic.

  7. characterized by or causing flatulence.

  8. Chiefly Scot. boastful.

windy British  
/ ˈwɪndɪ /

adjective

  1. of, characterized by, resembling, or relating to wind; stormy

  2. swept by or open to powerful winds

  3. marked by or given to empty, prolonged, and often boastful speech; bombastic

    windy orations

  4. void of substance

  5. an informal word for flatulent

  6. slang afraid; frightened; nervous

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unwindy adjective
  • windily adverb
  • windiness noun

Etymology

Origin of windy

before 900; Middle English; Old English windig. See wind 1, -y 1

Vocabulary lists containing windy

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -y

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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.

Post Malone headlines Sunday following a windy Saturday night that forced attendees to evacuate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

It will be windy, especially around western coasts where gales are possible, adding to a chilly feel.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

But it could certainly be a precursor of the wet, chilly and windy weather the region may see more of this fall.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

It was cold and windy but I’ll take a beach walk in any conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Forty of them played together shake one’s reason, shake the towers of Erhenrang, shake down a last spatter of rain from the windy clouds.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

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.