Meaning & use
leeward
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Located on the side away from the wind, so that the wind blows toward it rather than against it.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: the leeward side, the leeward shore.
Patterns
- the leeward side of something
- the leeward shore
- on the leeward side
The tents were pitched on the leeward side of the hill so the wind would not tear them down.
From the boat we could see the leeward shore, calm and sheltered while the far side was rough.
Birds tend to nest on the leeward slopes where the weather is gentler.
adverb
Toward the side that is sheltered from the wind; in the direction the wind is blowing.
Grammar: Used without an object, often after a verb of movement: sail leeward, drift leeward.
Patterns
- sail leeward
- drift leeward
- move leeward of something
The little boat drifted leeward until it reached the shelter of the cliffs.
Keep the raft moving leeward of the rocks if you want a calm night.
Smoke from the fire curled leeward, away from where we were sitting.
noununcountabletechnical
The side of a ship, building, or place that is away from the wind.
Grammar: Often used after 'to' or 'on': to leeward, on the leeward.
Patterns
- to leeward
- on the leeward
- the leeward of something
The sailors gathered to leeward, where the deck was out of the wind.
The house stands on the leeward, protected from the worst winter gales.
A flag was tied to leeward so the crew could judge the wind.
Word forms
| comparative | more leeward |
|---|---|
| superlative | most leeward |
Common combinations
- the leeward side
- We camped on the leeward side of the ridge to escape the wind.
- the leeward shore
- The leeward shore was flat and calm, perfect for landing.
- sail leeward
- The captain ordered the ship to sail leeward of the island.
- to leeward
- The buoy lay to leeward, just a short row away.
- leeward of something
- The village sits leeward of the mountain, so it rarely gets strong winds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sheltered
- Describes a place protected from wind or weather; it focuses on the protection, while leeward simply names the side away from the wind.
- downwind
- Means in the direction the wind is blowing; it is close in meaning but used more in general and scientific writing than in sailing.
Opposites
Word family
- leewardly adverb
- Rare; means in a leeward direction or toward the sheltered side.
Commonly confused: leeward or windward? leeward or lee?
leeward vs windward
Windward is the opposite of leeward: it is the side the wind hits first. Sailors say a boat is 'to windward' when it is closer to where the wind comes from.
leeward vs lee
Lee means shelter, especially the sheltered side of something; it is a noun, while leeward works as an adjective, adverb, or noun.
Practice
The hikers put up their tents on the ___ side of the hill so the wind would not reach them.
Choose one answer.
'Leeward' means the side away from the wind, so it is sheltered and the wind does not reach it. 'Windward' is the opposite — the side the wind hits first — so it would not give shelter. 'Upward' and 'forward' describe direction or position but say nothing about the wind.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “leeward”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.