southwesterly
southwesterly — adjective
- southwesterlypositive
- more southwesterlycomparative
- most southwesterlysuperlative
1. pointing or moving in the direction that lies halfway between south and west, op
pointing or moving in the direction that lies halfway between south and west, opposite of northeast. For example, a southwesterly route on a map leads from the northeast toward the southwest corner of a region.
The hiking trail follows a southwesterly path along the ridge for about three kilometres.
southwesterly path — direction of movement along a route
Diego checked the compass and adjusted their course to a southwesterly heading toward the coast.
southwesterly heading — compass direction of travel
The train line runs in a southwesterly direction from the capital to the port city.
- southwestward
more formal, often used in nautical or aviation contexts; 'southwestward' can be adjective or adverb
- southwestwards
chiefly British variant of 'southwestward', common in UK news and government reports
- northeasterly
pointing or moving toward the northeast, opposite of southwesterly
用法筆記
This sense describes position or movement along a line between south and west. It is commonly used with nouns such as 'direction', 'path', 'route', 'heading', 'course', or 'bearing'. It does not describe the origin of wind — see adjective sense 2 for that.
常見錯誤
2. describing a wind that begins in the area between south and west and travels tow
describing a wind that begins in the area between south and west and travels toward the opposite direction. In weather reports, a southwesterly wind brings air from the southwest region.
Strong southwesterly winds brought warm, humid air across the island for three days straight.
southwesterly winds — adjective describing wind origin in meteorology
The sailor studied the southwesterly breeze and decided it was safe to leave the harbour.
- southwest
shorter, more common form; 'southwest wind' appears in everyday weather forecasts
- southwester
rare noun form that refers specifically to the wind itself; 'a strong southwester was blowing'
- northeasterly
describing a wind that comes from the northeast, opposite of southwesterly
用法筆記
This adjective sense only applies to winds and is inseparable from the noun it modifies — you cannot say 'the wind is southwesterly today' using this adjective sense; use adverb sense 1 instead for that construction.
常見錯誤
southwesterly — noun
- southwesterlysingular
- southwesterliesplural
1. a wind that starts in the region between south and west and blows toward the nor
a wind that starts in the region between south and west and blows toward the northeast. In coastal areas, a southwesterly often brings damp, mild weather.
A warm southwesterly was blowing across the harbour, making the fishing boats rock gently.
a + southwesterly — countable noun for a specific wind
Freya checked the weather forecast and saw that a southwesterly was expected all weekend.
- southwester
even rarer variant; chiefly used in nautical speech
- northeasterly
a wind that comes from the northeast
文法句型
a + southwesterly
the + southwesterly
用法筆記
This noun sense is countable and typically used with the indefinite article ('a southwesterly') or as a proper noun for a named wind. It is less common than the adjectival wind sense and is mostly found in maritime or literary contexts.
southwesterly — adverb
1. coming from the direction that lies between south and west. This sense tells you
coming from the direction that lies between south and west. This sense tells you where something originates — most often used for wind, but can also describe sounds, smells, or weather systems arriving from that direction.
The wind blew southwesterly all night, carrying the smell of rain from the hills.
blew southwesterly — adverb of origin describing wind direction
Dark clouds were coming in southwesterly from the sea, and the farmers hurried indoors.
coming in southwesterly from the sea — adverb of origin; 'from the sea' anchors the origin reading
- from the southwest
a phrase that works the same way, often more natural in speech: 'The wind came from the southwest.'
- northeasterly
coming from the northeast
文法句型
blow southwesterly
coming southwesterly
用法筆記
Distinguish from adjective sense 2: adverb sense 1 modifies verbs ('blew southwesterly', 'came southwesterly'), while adjective sense 2 modifies nouns ('southwesterly wind'). The adverb tells you the direction of origin; the adjective labels the wind itself.
常見錯誤
2. moving or pointing in the direction halfway between south and west. Unlike adver
moving or pointing in the direction halfway between south and west. Unlike adverb sense 1, this tells you where something or someone is heading, not where it comes from.
The group of hikers headed southwesterly through the forest, following the markers on the trees.
headed southwesterly — adverb of direction toward southwest
Lukas pointed southwesterly and said the next village was about four hours away on foot.
The river flows southwesterly for sixty kilometres before turning toward the sea.
- southwestward
more formal, interchangeable in most contexts
- southwestwards
chiefly British variant
- to the southwest
phrase used in everyday speech: 'The plane flew to the southwest.'
- northeasterly
moving toward the northeast
文法句型
head southwesterly
move southwesterly
travel southwesterly
用法筆記
This adverb sense is interchangeable with adjective sense 1 when the adjective modifies a direction noun ('southwesterly direction'). However, the adverb form is preferred after verbs of motion ('drove', 'flew', 'walked', 'headed', 'pointed').