windswept

adjective

wind·​swept ˈwin(d)-ˌswept How to pronounce windswept (audio)
: swept by or as if by wind

Examples of windswept in a Sentence

The sailors looked windswept and tired.
Recent Examples on the Web Most of them had been built in the thirties, which was not long after the area had been known as the Outside Lands—desolate and windswept, just scattered people growing vegetables in the shifting dunes. Zach Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 The wild and windswept shore of Cala Conta in San Antonio boasts some of the best sunsets on the island and is also home to the iconic Sunset Ashram. Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 Sitting in a windswept crater 12,000 feet above sea level, Bolivia’s de facto capital is home to skyscrapers and millennia-old ruins. Javier Rodríguez-Camacho, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 Heavy snow and fierce winds will affect the Sierra all day while windswept rain drenches coastal areas (including the Bay Area). Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Beyond the hippy days and techno raves, the best things to do in Ibiza can be attributed to the island's staggering natural beauty of windswept beaches, coves, rocky red cliffs and pine forests. Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 The main house, a long, low-slung black fortress clad in wood and glass, hunkers down on a windswept plateau. Mark David, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2024 Not Nordic But Still Chilly Shetland (2013-) Set in the remote, windswept islands of Scotland, where the elements are so harsh there are no trees, the first seven seasons revolve around Detective Jimmy Perez, a lonely and oft-exasperated widower played by Douglas Henshall. Andrea Duncan-Mao, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2024 The rugged, windswept Whistling Straits overlooks Lake Michigan and comprises two courses, the Straits and the Irish. Katie Sweeney, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'windswept.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of windswept was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near windswept

Cite this Entry

“Windswept.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windswept. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

windswept

adjective
wind·​swept -ˌswept How to pronounce windswept (audio)
: disturbed by or as if by wind
a windswept beach

More from Merriam-Webster on windswept

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!