Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Characterized by or exposed to strong winds: Describes weather, places, or conditions with a lot of wind.
   • Using or containing too many words; long-winded: Describes speech or writing that is unnecessarily lengthy, verbose, or inflated.
   • Resembling the wind in force, speed, or sound: Describes something that has the qualities of wind, such as a swift dash or a rushing sound.
   • Not practical or realizable; speculative: Describes ideas, theories, or schemes that are fanciful, impractical, or visionary.

Usage Examples

• Adjective (Weather/Exposure):
  • It's a very windy day, so hold onto your hat.
  • The windy cliff offered a spectacular but challenging view.
• Adjective (Verbose):
  • The politician gave a windy speech that bored the audience.
  • I found the report to be windy and full of unnecessary details.
• Adjective (Resembling Wind):
  • He made a windy dash across the field to catch the ball.
• Adjective (Speculative):
  • His plans for instant wealth were dismissed as windy schemes.

Advanced Usage

• "To be/get windy" (informal, chiefly British): To be or become frightened or nervous.
  • He started to get windy as he approached the haunted house.
• "Windy" in a metaphorical sense: Can describe something insubstantial, empty, or boastful.
  • His promises turned out to be windy boasts with no substance.

Variants and Related Words

• Windily (adverb): In a windy manner.
  • He spoke windily for over an hour.
• Windiness (noun): The quality or state of being windy.
  • The windiness of the location makes it ideal for sailing.
  • The windiness of his prose made it difficult to read.

Synonyms

• For "windy" (weather): Breezy, blowy, gusty, stormy.
• For "windy" (verbose): Long-winded, verbose, wordy, prolix, rambling.
• For "windy" (speculative): Airy, visionary, impractical, fanciful, speculative.

Related Phrases

• "Full of wind": An informal phrase meaning boastful or talking nonsense.
  • Don't listen to him; he's just full of wind.
• "Three sheets to the wind": An idiom meaning very drunk.
  • After the party, he was three sheets to the wind. (Note: This idiom uses "wind," not the adjective "windy," but is a common related expression.)

Idioms

• "Throw caution to the wind(s)": To stop being careful and take a risk.
  • She decided to throw caution to the wind and quit her job to travel. (Note: This idiom uses the noun "wind.")
• "Get wind of something": To hear a rumor or piece of information about something.
  • The press got wind of the scandal. (Note: This idiom uses the noun "wind.")

Adjective

1. using or containing too many words
   • long-winded (or windy) speakers
   • verbose and ineffective instructional methods
   • newspapers of the day printed long wordy editorials
   • proceedings were delayed by wordy disputes
2. resembling the wind in speed, force, or variability
   • a windy dash home
3. not practical or realizable; speculative
   • airy theories about socioeconomic improvement
   • visionary schemes for getting rich
4. abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
   • blowy weather
   • a windy bluff