downwind

adverb or adjective

down·​wind ˈdau̇n-ˈwind 

: in the direction that the wind is blowing

Synonyms of downwind

• leeward

Examples of downwind in a Sentence

we were downwind of the deer, so it couldn't smell us

Recent Examples on the Web

Some activists are calling for extensive soil testing and possibly moving students temporarily to schools that are not downwind of the fire site. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Learn to identify the tracks beneath your feet, discover the medicinal uses of native plants, understand how to approach animals downwind, and spend your evenings around the campfire beneath a sky ablaze with stars. — Nicola Shepherd, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2026

The air smelled like smoke, even hundreds of miles downwind from the blazes. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

John Berry The smoke is affecting areas downwind of the fires, with the greatest impacts expected across western and northwestern Colorado. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 28 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for downwind

• chagrined
• rescind
• upwind
• whirlwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned
• skinned
• thinned

Kids Definition

downwind

adverb or adjective

down·​wind ˈdau̇n-ˈwind 

: in the direction that the wind is blowing