south-westerly

The wind is blowing in a south-westerly direction.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Located or moving toward the southwest: "south-westerly" describes something that is situated in, or directed toward, the direction halfway between south and west.
   • Coming from the southwest: Used especially for winds, "south-westerly" indicates a wind that originates in the southwest and blows toward the northeast.

2. Adverb:

   • Toward the southwest: "south-westerly" means in a direction that is between south and west.
   • From the southwest: Used to describe movement or origin, especially of wind, coming from the southwest.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The ship took a south-westerly course to avoid the storm. (The ship traveled in a direction toward the southwest.)
  • A strong south-westerly wind brought rain to the coast. (The wind came from the southwest.)

• Adverb:

  • The plane flew south-westerly for two hours. (The plane flew toward the southwest.)
  • The wind blew south-westerly all day. (The wind came from the southwest.)

Advanced Usage

• "south-westerly direction": a specific compass point or course.

  • The hikers followed a south-westerly direction through the forest. (They moved consistently toward the southwest.)

• "south-westerly gale": a strong wind from the southwest, often used in maritime or weather reports.

  • A south-westerly gale forced the fishing boats to return to port. (A powerful southwest wind caused the boats to seek shelter.)

Variants and Related Words

• Southwest (n, adj, adv): the direction or region halfway between south and west; a wind from that direction.

  • The town lies to the southwest of the capital. (The town is located in the southwest direction.)

• Southwester (n): a strong wind or storm from the southwest, or a waterproof hat worn by sailors.

  • The sailors wore southwester hats in the rain. (They wore a type of hat designed for wet weather.)

Synonyms

• Southwest (adj, adv): directly meaning toward or from the southwest.
• Southwestward (adj, adv): toward the southwest.
  • They moved southwestward along the coast. (They traveled southwest.)

Related Idioms

• No common idioms directly use "south-westerly," but it appears in weather and navigation contexts:
  • "A south-westerly breeze": a light wind from the southwest, often associated with fair weather.

    • A gentle south-westerly breeze cooled the afternoon. (A light southwest wind brought relief from heat.)