windy

1 of 3

adjective (1)

ˈwin-dē How to pronounce windy (audio)
windier; windiest
Synonyms of windynext
1
a(1)
: windswept
a windy coast
(2)
: marked by strong wind or by more wind than usual
a windy day
b
: violent, stormy
2
: flatulent sense 1
a windy bellyache
3
a
: verbose, bombastic
a windy politician
b
: lacking substance : empty
windy promises
windily
ˈwin-də-lē How to pronounce windy (audio)
adverb
windiness
ˈwin-dē-nəs How to pronounce windy (audio)
noun

windy

2 of 3

adjective (2)

ˈwīn-dē How to pronounce windy (audio)
windier; windiest
: winding
a windy path

windiness

3 of 3

noun

wind·​i·​ness -dēnə̇s How to pronounce windiness (audio)
-din-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being windy: such as
a
: flatulence
b
: lack of substance : verbosity, pomposity
showed up the windiness of their arguments, the sublime folly of their attempts—Virginia Woolf
c
: the presence of wind in the atmosphere
average hourly velocity is considered a good index of windiness—New Yorker
d
: breathiness

Synonyms of windy

Relevance

Adjective (1)

Adjective (2)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of windy in a Sentence

Adjective (1) one particularly windy day should shake the last of the autumn leaves from the trees gave his usual windy speech about working for the common people a windy saleswoman who told us a lot more than we wanted to know about vacuum cleaners Adjective (2) a windy little creek
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Is there anything worse for trick-or-treaters than a cold, windy, wet day? — Tammie Souza, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 The day is also windy, with winds blowing northeast at 15-25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph, according to NWS Melbourne. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026 The roads are quite windy, so those prone to motion sickness should proceed with caution. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026 Gallman learned that the balloon had been moved because of windy conditions. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for windy

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English windinesse, from windy entry 1 + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective (2)

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of windy was before the 12th century

Rhymes for windy

See All Rhymes for windy

Browse Nearby Words

wind-wing
windy
Windy City
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Windy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

windy

adjective
ˈwin-dē
windier; windiest
1
: having strong winds
a windy prairie
2
: marked by or given to too much talk
a windy speaker
windiness noun
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