Meaning & use
westbound
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
traveling or leading toward the west.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a westbound bus. It is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- westbound train
- westbound traffic
- westbound road
We took the westbound train to the coast.
The westbound lanes of the highway were closed after the accident.
There is a westbound flight leaving at noon.
adverb
toward the west.
Grammar: Used after a verb of movement: traveling westbound.
Patterns
- travel westbound
- head westbound
The ship was traveling westbound when the storm hit.
After the junction, continue westbound for about ten miles.
Common combinations
- westbound train
- The westbound train leaves from platform 3.
- westbound traffic
- Westbound traffic was slow because of roadworks.
- westbound lane
- Stay in the westbound lane if you're going to the airport.
- westbound service
- There is a limited westbound service on Sundays.
Synonyms and how they differ
- westward
- More literary and can mean 'toward the west' in a general sense, not just for transport routes.
Opposites
Word family
- eastbound adjective
- Traveling or leading toward the east.
- northbound adjective
- Traveling or leading toward the north.
- southbound adjective
- Traveling or leading toward the south.
Commonly confused: westbound or west ward?
westbound vs west ward
This is not a word. The correct form is 'westward', meaning 'toward the west', or 'westbound' for transport.
Practice
The sign said 'Westbound traffic only', which means the traffic is going ______.
Choose one answer.
'Westbound' means traveling toward the west. 'Eastbound' would be the opposite, and 'both directions' or 'north' do not match the meaning of the suffix '-bound' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “westbound”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.