Word
westerly
Phoneticswest·er·ly
US/ˈwɛstɝɫi/
UK/wˈɛstəli/
Definition
adj. coming from the west, especially when talking about the wind. You use this to describe the direction a breeze or storm is moving from.
adj. situated towards or moving from the west. Often used to describe prevailing winds or weather patterns; typically precedes the noun it modifies.
Examples
“A strong westerly wind blew across the coast.”
“The sailors adjusted their course to account for the steady westerly breeze pushing them toward the shore.”
“Meteorologists predicted that the arrival of a cold westerly front would bring significant rainfall to the valley by early Tuesday morning.”
Examples
simple
“A strong westerly wind blew across the coast.”
contextual
“The sailors adjusted their course to account for the steady westerly breeze pushing them toward the shore.”
complex
“Meteorologists predicted that the arrival of a cold westerly front would bring significant rainfall to the valley by early Tuesday morning.”
Usage
Typically used as an adjective before a noun, though it can function as an adverb meaning 'towards the west'.
Pitfall
a westerly direction to the sea
a westerly direction
Westerly already implies 'from' or 'towards' the west; adding extra directional prepositions can be redundant.
Real-World Examples
“It looks most likely that Atlantic weather-systems will continue to bring westerly winds and areas of rain at times.” “Fresh westerly winds will make it feel blustery, with highs of 18-22C (64-72F) in England and Wales and 16-19C (61-66F) further north.” Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/westerly