Leeward

//ˈliːwəd// adj, adv

adj, adv ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    the side of something that is sheltered from the wind wordnet
  2. 2
    the direction in which the wind is blowing wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    On the side sheltered from the wind; in that direction.
Adjective
  1. 1
    on the side away from the wind wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    Away from the direction from which the wind is blowing; downwind.

    "Some hours after midnight, the Typhoon abated so much, that through the strenuous exertions of Starbuck and Stubb—one engaged forward and the other aft—the shivered remnants of the jib and fore and main-top-sails were cut adrift from the spars, and went eddying away to leeward, like the feathers of an albatross, which sometimes are cast to the winds when that storm-tossed bird is on the wing."

Adverb
  1. 1
    away from the wind wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
downwindleealeeanticlockwiseaweatherclockwise

Example

More examples

"The areas with lowest precipitation are on the leeward side of the mountains."

Etymology

From lee (“side away from the wind”) + -ward (“direction”).

Related phrases

Leeward Islands

More for "leeward"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.