windfall

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A sudden, unexpected piece of good luck, usually a large sum of money.

   Grammar: Countable and often used with 'a': a windfall.

   Patterns

   • a windfall of something
   • receive a windfall

   The old woman's lottery win was a welcome windfall.

   A surprise tax refund gave them a small windfall.

   The company's sudden windfall paid off its debts.

2. 2nouncountable

   A fruit that the wind has blown off a tree.

   Grammar: Usually plural: windfalls under the apple tree.

   Patterns

   • windfall apples

   We picked up windfalls under the old apple tree.

   Windfall pears are good for jam.

   The orchard sells windfalls cheaply.

Word forms

Common combinations

unexpected windfall

The unexpected windfall paid for their holiday.

financial windfall

The sale was a financial windfall.

windfall profits

Energy companies faced a tax on windfall profits.

windfall tax

The government introduced a windfall tax.

receive a windfall

She received a windfall from a distant uncle.

Synonyms and how they differ

bonanza

A bonanza is a rich, large source of gain and sounds more dramatic than windfall.

jackpot

A jackpot is a prize from gambling or competition, while a windfall can come from anywhere.

godsend

A godsend is something welcome at exactly the right moment and is not always money.

inheritance

An inheritance is money received after a death, which may be expected, so it is not always a windfall.

Opposites

Word family

windfalls noun

plural of windfall

windfallen adjective

rare; fallen by the wind

fall verb

root of the compound

wind noun

the other part of the compound

Commonly confused: windfall or fortune? windfall or inheritance?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “windfall”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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