noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈhɛdˌwɪnd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH EH1 D W IH2 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A wind that blows directly against the course of a vehicle, like an aircraft, train, or ship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: natural-sciences, nautical, physical-sciences, physics, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A strong force that impedes or reverses progress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: transferred sense
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To blow directly against the course of a vehicle, like an aircraft, train, or ship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive, uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To impede or reverse progress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
wind blowing opposite to the path of a ship or aircraft
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wind, air current, current of air
History
Etymology
From Middle English *hedwind, from Old English hēafodwind, equivalent to head + wind. Cognate with Old Norse höfuðvindr.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
كَوْس
(kaws)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Arabic:
رِيَاح مُضَادَّة
(riyāḥ muḍādda)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Arabic:
رِيَاح عَكْسِيَّة
(riyāḥ ʕaksiyya)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Catalan:
vent de proa
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Chinese Mandarin:
逆風 /逆风
(nìfēng)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Czech:
protivítr
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Danish:
modvind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Dutch:
tegenwind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Faroese:
mótvindur
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Finnish:
vastatuuli
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
French:
vent debout
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Georgian:
პირქარი
(ṗirkari)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Georgian:
შემხვედრი ქარი
(šemxvedri kari)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
German:
Gegenwind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Greek:
αντίθετος άνεμος
(antíthetos ánemos)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Hebrew:
רוּחַ פָּנִים
(ru'ah paním)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Hebrew:
רוּחַ נֶגְדִית
(ruakh negdit)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Hungarian:
ellenszél
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Icelandic:
mótvindur
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Icelandic:
mótbyr
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Icelandic:
andbyr
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Icelandic:
andviðri
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Ingrian:
vastain tuuli
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Irish:
gaoth chinn
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Irish:
gaoth ghann
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Italian:
vento di prua
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Japanese:
向かい風
(mukaikaze)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Kazakh:
қарсы жел
(qarsy jel)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Māori:
hautūmū
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Māori:
haupāuma
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Māori:
pāuma
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Norwegian Bokmål:
motvind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Norwegian Bokmål:
motbør
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Norwegian Nynorsk:
motvind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Polish:
wiatr przeciwny
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Portuguese:
vento ponteiro
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Russian:
встре́чный ве́тер
(vstréčnyj véter)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Spanish:
viento de proa
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Spanish:
viento en contra
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Spanish:
viento contrario
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Swedish:
motvind
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Telugu:
ఎదురుగాలి
(edurugāli)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Turkish:
pruva rüzgârı
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Ukrainian:
зустрі́чний ві́тер
(zustríčnyj víter)
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
Welsh:
gwynt blaen
— wind that blows directly against the course of a vessel
