Meaning & use
high winds
Last updated
UK/ˌhaɪ ˈwɪndz/
US/ˌhaɪ ˈwɪndz/
Meaning
nounplural
Strong, fast-moving air that can make travel difficult and damage trees or buildings.
Grammar: Used with a plural verb: high winds are expected.
Patterns
- high winds are forecast
- damaged by high winds
High winds knocked down several trees overnight.
The ferry was canceled because of high winds.
Drivers were warned about high winds on the bridge.
Common combinations
- high winds are forecast
- High winds are forecast for the weekend.
- battered by high winds
- The coast was battered by high winds.
- damaged by high winds
- The fence was damaged by high winds.
- warning of high winds
- Officials issued a warning of high winds.
- high winds and heavy rain
- High winds and heavy rain hit the region.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gales
- Gales are a specific, very strong kind of wind that is stronger than ordinary high winds.
- strong winds
- Strong winds is a plain alternative with almost the same meaning but is less typical of weather reports.
- gusts
- Gusts are short bursts of wind, whereas high winds describe wind that lasts.
Opposites
calmlight breeze
Word family
Commonly confused: high winds or wind?
high winds vs wind
Wind with a long i sound means to turn or twist, and is a different word from the moving air.
Practice
The school was closed because ___ had blown part of the roof off.
Choose one answer.
High winds is the set weather phrase. Tall winds is not used, and the possessive options are ungrammatical here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “high winds”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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