wind
C2 (Very high frequency)Neutral. Appropriate for all registers from casual conversation to formal/academic writing.
Definition
Meaning
Moving air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
Can also refer to breath or air within the body, as well as a metaphorical force for change or movement. As a verb (pronounced /waɪnd/), it means to turn, coil, or twist something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a clear case of homographs with different pronunciations (/wɪnd/ for the noun, /waɪnd/ for the verb) and unrelated etymologies. The noun is among the most basic environmental terms.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in idiomatic use (e.g., 'wind up' for annoy is slightly more common in BrE). Spelling in verb-related forms is identical (wound/winding).
Connotations
Similar connotations. Strong wind often carries negative associations (disruption, cold) in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The wind [verbs: blows, howls, gusts, dies down, changes]There is/are [adjective: strong, little, no] wind[Verb: Catch, get, break] the windVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “get wind of something”
- “take the wind out of someone's sails”
- “throw caution to the wind”
- “in the wind”
- “which way the wind is blowing”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorical, e.g., 'a wind of change in the market', 'facing headwinds'.
Academic
Meteorology: describing atmospheric phenomena; Literature: often symbolic.
Everyday
Talking about weather, e.g., 'It's windy today.'
Technical
Meteorology: wind shear, prevailing wind, wind farm (energy).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- You need to wind the clock every week.
- The road winds through the valley.
- She wound the wool into a ball.
- He's always winding his brother up.
American English
- Wind up the hose after you use it.
- The trail winds down to the river.
- She wound the scarf around her neck.
- Don't let him wind you up.
adverb
British English
- Not a standard adverbial form for /wɪnd/. For the verb path, 'windingly' is rare.
American English
- Not a standard adverbial form for /wɪnd/. For the verb path, 'windingly' is rare.
adjective
British English
- Wind-powered energy is growing.
- We walked along the wind-swept beach.
American English
- Wind energy is a key focus.
- It's a windy city.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The wind is strong.
- I don't like the cold wind.
- Close the door, the wind is coming in!
- There was a light wind coming from the west.
- The wind blew my hat off.
- You can hear the wind in the trees at night.
- Gusts of wind rattled the windows throughout the storm.
- Sailing conditions were poor due to the shifting winds.
- She got wind of the office merger before it was announced.
- The prevailing winds carry moisture from the ocean to the continent.
- The scandal caused a wind of change to sweep through the political establishment.
- He carefully wound the vintage film onto the spool.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Wind (air) is what you find outside; wind (twist) is what you do to a watch to make it work.
Conceptual Metaphor
CHANGE/INFLUENCE IS WIND ('winds of change', 'headwinds against progress'). INFORMATION IS AIR ('got wind of the plan').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse 'wind' (/wɪnd/) with 'wind' (/waɪnd/ verb). Russian 'ветер' only corresponds to the noun. The verb 'to wind' (/waɪnd/) is a false friend with Russian 'винд' (from 'windsurfing'). 'Wind up' can mean 'finish' or 'annoy', not just 'start' (like a watch).
Common Mistakes
- *'There is a strong wind today.' (Correct) vs. '*It is a strong wind today.' (Unnatural). Mispronouncing the verb as /wɪnd/. Confusing 'wind' with 'wound' (injury) when using the past tense of the verb ('He wound the clock').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'wind' as a verb (pronounced /waɪnd/)?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally uncountable when referring to the natural phenomenon ('There isn't much wind today'). It becomes countable when referring to a type of wind or a single gust ('a north wind', 'a cold wind blowing').
'Wind' is the general term. A 'breeze' is a light, pleasant wind. All breezes are wind, but not all wind is a breeze (e.g., a gale is a very strong wind).
They come from different Old English words that coincidentally merged in spelling over time. The noun comes from Old English 'wind', the verb from Old English 'windan' (to twist).
It means to hear a rumour or piece of information about something, often secret. E.g., 'The press got wind of the celebrity wedding.'
Collections
Part of a collection
Weather
A2 · 45 words · Describing the weather, climate and seasons.
Environment
B1 · 47 words · Nature, ecology and environmental issues.