Wind idioms
A list of fascinating wind idioms in the English language. A good time to introduce wind idioms to your students is when you have classes related to the topic of weather.
1 – If something is a breeze, it is very easy to do.
- Example – The exam was a breeze and she got high marks.
2 – A person who is a bag of wind or a windbag talks too much and often talks nonsense.
- Example – She is a bag of wind, she spoke nonstop for 15 minutes and I didn’t get a chance to say anything!
3 – To beat the wind is to continue doing something that will never succeed or result in the way you want it to. Another wind idiom with the same meaning is to cast stones against the wind.
- Example – He is beating the wind trying to ask her out, she will never go out with him.
4 – To be left to twist in the wind is to be abandoned without help in a difficult situation.
- Example – Her father disappeared when she was young and her mother was left to twist in the wind.
5 – To bend in the wind or bend with the wind is to adapt to survive challenging times in life.
- Example – We don’t have much money we will have to bend with the wind to get by this year.
6 – If something is blowing in the wind, it means that people are talking and thinking about it.
- Example – There were some new ideas blowing in the wind at her office.
7 – If you breeze along, you carry on with no troubles or things to worry about.
- Example – After college, she just breezed along working whenever she felt like it.
8 – To breeze past something or someone is to move past them quickly.
- Example – The race leader was able to breeze past the other drivers on the straight.
9 – A candle in the wind is something that is vulnerable, fragile, weak or may not live for long.
- Example – The new fish in the aquarium are candles in the wind, they may not last very long.
10 – A capful of wind is a sudden or unexpected gust of wind or a light breeze.
Example – He felt a capful of wind as he sat drinking his coffee.
11 – To eat wind means to go for a walk.
- Example – She felt bored inside and decided to go out and eat some wind.
12 – As an idiom – the eye of the hurricane is a temporary quiet or calm period of time after trouble before a situation gets worse again.
- Example – The gunfire had stopped but the soldiers knew that it was just the eye of the hurricane and fighting would resume again soon.
13 – To fan the breeze is to chat casually or gossip.
- Example – They sat drinking tea, fanning the breeze all afternoon.
14 – If you fan the flames of something you make it more intense. It could be an argument, a situation, or a person’s mood.
- Example – He bought her flowers every day which fanned the flames of her love for him.
15 – A person who is four sheets in the wind or both sheets in the wind is drunk or intoxicated. This is one of the older wind idioms that was created by sailors.
- Example – He came home four sheets in the wind after the party at 2 am.
16 – Gales of laughter refer to lots of loud laughter.
- Example – There were gales of laughter at the bar when told the joke.
17 – To get or have the wind up about something is to be scared or nervous. Similarly, if you put the wind up someone you make them frightened or anxious.
- Example – She got the wind up about crime in the area and moved to another city.
18 – To get wind of something is to hear news or information about something and become aware of it. It is usually associated with secrets or private information
- Example – He didn’t want his wife to get wind of his secret savings account.
19 – To go like the wind is to go or move very quickly.
- Example – She joined the athletics team because she could run like the wind.
20 – An ill wind is used to describe a bad or unlucky event that brings good fortune to somebody else.
- Example – It was an ill wind, she recovered in the hospital and married the doctor who treated her.
21 – If you knock the wind out of somebody you hit them so hard that they have trouble breathing.
- Example I crashed my motorbike last week, it really knocked the wind out of me.
22 – To sail close to the wind is to do something dangerous, risky or almost illegal.
- Example – He is sailing close to the wind driving that fast in the rain, he might have an accident.
23 – If you get a second wind, you find the energy and strength to continue doing something after feeling very tired. This is one of the most common wind idioms.
- Example – He got a second wind after lunch and continued to chop the wood.
24 – If you see which way the wind blows, or see how the wind blows you wait for or find out information before acting or making a decision.
- Example – I think I’ll see which way the wind blows before buying a ticket to London.
25 – To shoot the breeze is to chat or talk to someone informally.
- Example – They like to shoot the breeze and relax when they are out fishing.
26 – To spit in the wind is to do something pointless or ineffectual that will never achieve its goal. It is much the same as the idiom beat the wind.
- Example – He’s spitting in the wind trying to fix that old car, it will never move again.
27 – To take the wind out of someone’s sails is to make a person suddenly much less confident than they were beforehand.
- Example – The team scored 2 quick goals and took the wind out of their opponent’s sails.
28 – To throw caution to the wind means to do something without any fear of bad results or danger.
- Example – She threw caution to the wind and moved to Japan to find a new job.
29 – Tornado juice is a slang expression for whiskey or hard liquor.
- Example – It was so cold on the mountain we had a few sips of tornado juice to warm up.
30 – A willow in the wind is a person who easily changes what they believe in or follow due to listening to other people.
- Example – He was a willow in the wind and voted for the whatever changes his colleagues did.
31 – The winds of change refer to small events, occurrences or forces that lead to or mean that major changes or upheavals are going to happen.
- Example – There were winds of change at the company before it went bankrupt.
Related activities
If you enjoyed the wind idioms, you will probably also want to have a look at the star idioms and the hot idioms.
You might also like these
wind
1. informal A hint, suggestion, or rumor about something. Used especially with the verb «get.» We’ve gotten wind that our competitors are working on some new kind of smart screen technology. Don’t let the boss catch wind of what you’re doing, or you’ll be fired for sure!
2. informal Intestinal gas; flatulence. It is quite rude to pass wind so openly when in the company of others! I try to avoid eating food with lots of garlic. It tends to give me wind.
wind up
1. verb To tighten the spring inside an item or device, as by twisting a knob. A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» Let me try winding up your watch—maybe that will get it going again.
2. verb To twist or coil something (around a particular surface or thing). A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» The cat will keep playing with that yarn, unless you wind it up on the spool.
3. verb To cause someone or something to become more animated. A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» Please don’t wind the kids up right before bedtime.
4. verb To come to an end. The party wound up earlier than I’d expected, and I was in bed by 11.
5. verb To conclude something. A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» I was completely exhausted and decided to wind up the party early. Wind it up, guys. We need to get going.
6. verb To cause someone to become anxious or agitated. A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» Quit watching the news—it always winds you up.
7. verb To cause someone to talk for a long time and with enthusiasm about a topic they are passionate about. A noun or pronoun can be used between «wind» and «up.» Shakespeare just winds her up—she could talk about his tragedies for hours.
8. verb To settle or resolve something. After I inherited all that money, I tried to wind up some of my outstanding debts.
9. verb To reach a certain place or state. I didn’t plan to go to the grocery store—I just wound up there after running some other errands. Few inventors wind up having the kind of success you’re hoping for.
10. verb To twist or contort one’s body in preparation for an athletic maneuver (as of a pitcher in baseball). As I watch their pitcher wind up, I can’t help but wonder if he’s injured. I saw her winding up to hit him, so I tried to intervene before she did.
11. noun The act of twisting or contorting one’s body in preparation for an athletic maneuver (as of a pitcher in baseball). As a noun, the phrase is usually hyphenated («wind-up»). Look at their pitcher’s wind-up—do you think he’s injured?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Here you will learn interesting English expressions and idioms with WIND. Wind is one the confusing words in English that have the same spelling but different meaning.
If you want to improve English to a higher level, you need to be familiar with homographs.
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Harry is a native English teacher with over 10 years of experience both online and in face-to-face lessons. With his extensive experience in business, he specialises in Business English lessons but happily teaches ESL students with any English learning needs.
Expressions and Idioms with Wind
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Today let’s talk about English homographs. What are homographs? Homographs are words that have the same spelling but with two distinct meanings and separate pronunciations.
There are over 160 homographs in the English language.
One of them, for example, is Wind [ˈwɪnd] (pronounced wih-nd) – the wind is blowing
and
Wind [ˈwaɪnd] (pronounced wy-nd) – the road winds around the mountain
English homographs — Wind and Wind
Wind [ˈwɪnd]
Wind [ˈwaɪnd]
Expressions and Idioms with Wind
Here we take a closer look at some common expressions and idioms with Wind.
the wind of change
this means that something is happening after a long time
Example:
The Government has been a centre part for several decades. However, the signs now are that a more right-wing party will take control. I can feel the wind of change.
someone is a bit windy
He is not very confident and a bit weak. He will not take up the challenge.
Example:
He is afraid of heights. He will not climb that mountain, he is a bit windy.
blowing in the wind
there are rumours about that something will change
Example:
People are talking about it. It is in the air, it is blowing in the wind.
it is an ill wind
if something bad happens,
normally there’s something good for somebody else
We can use this phrase when someone can benefit from another’s misfortune, thereby a positive outcome occurs. Good for some.
It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good. – the first use of this phrase was recorded in 1546.
Example:
I made lots of mistakes in my exam but I learnt a lot by making those mistakes, it’s an ill wind.
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English Expressions and Idioms with Wind
a straw in the wind
an incident, event, statement, etc that indicates how the future might develop
Example:
People’s reaction can be regarded as a straw in the wind. There are definitely some major changes ahead.
to wind someone up [ˈwaɪnd]
We use this expression when we want to trick/fool someone. If we know that a friend or colleague gets annoyed easily by something we wind him up.
Example:
It was only when we were leaving the club that we told him we were only winding him up.
to wind down [ˈwaɪnd]
to slow down or to begin to stop.
Example:
It is a holiday this weekend so people will begin to wind down their work on Friday.
to wind the clock[ˈwaɪnd]
When the old clocks stopped working we had a special key we used to wind the clock to get it to work again.
Example:
‘Wind the clock, please,’ were Grandma’s first words when we entered the house.
English Expressions and Idioms with Wind
get the wind-up
Meaning: to become afraid
Example:
He got the wind-up when he saw they were after him.
take the wind out of someone’s sails
Meaning: to put a sudden end to someone’s over-confidence
Example:
One simple question took the wind out of his sails.
go like the wind
Meaning: to move very fast and smoothly (a car, a fast athlete, etc)
Example:
If you would like to order a cake, please be quick as they will go like the wind.
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15 Common Collocations with Wind
the wind blows
Example: A northerly wind blows from the north to the south.
the wind changes
Example: The wind suddenly changed direction and started to blow from the west.
the wind gets up
Example: When the winds get up, the kites come out.
the wind drops
Example: The wind dropped in the afternoon, and the weather became quite warm.
the wind dies down
Example: Gradually, the wind died down, and the clouds brightened.
the wind whistles
Example: You could hear the wind whistles through the small gaps in the door.
to cycle into the wind
Example: Heading north is tricky, as you’ll have to cycle into the wind.
Useful Collocations with Wind
to sail into the wind
Example: The ferry was 2 hours late, it was very difficult to sail into the wind.
to shelter from the wind
Example: I’m getting cold, let’s shelter form the wind in that shop.
strong winds
Example: Airports are currently closed due to expected strong winds at midday.
high winds
Example: High winds last night caused serious damage to our roof.
an icy wind
Example: The icy wind cut right through me.
bitter winds
Example: Their hands froze; bitter winds cut through their cotton clothes.
a light wind
Example: A light wind is the most favourable for fishing.
a breath of wind
Example: It was absolutely still. There wasn’t a breath of wind.
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God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb
A person who is already helpless will not have more trouble; you will not have more trouble than you can bear.
After Mr. Smith lost his job, the Smith’s house caught fire, but the fire was put out before much harm was done. Mr. Smith said, «God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.»
get wind of
To get news of; hear rumors about; find out about.
The police got wind of the plans to rob the bank.
The captain didn’t want the sailors to get wind of where the ship was going.
go out the window
To go out of effect; be abandoned.
During the war, the school dress code went out the window.
gone with the wind
Gone forever; past; vanished.
All the Indians who used to live here are gone with the wind.
Joe knew that his chance to get an «A» was gone with the wind when he saw how hard the test was.
in the wind
Seeming probable; being planned; soon to happen.
Changes in top management of the company had been in the wind for weeks.
Tom’s close friends knew that marriage was in the wind.
it is an ill wind that blows nobody good
No matter how bad a happening is, someone can usually gain something from it. A proverb.
Неважно как плохо идут дела, кто-то обычно получает выгоду из такой ситуации. Пословица.
When Fred got hurt in the game John got a chance to play. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good.
When Fred got hurt in the game John got a chance to play. It’s an ill wind that blows no good.
Когда Фред получил травму во время игры, Джону представилась возможность сыграть (вместо него). Не бывает худа без добра.
launch window
A period of time when the line-up of planets, Sun, and Moon are such as to make favorable conditions for a specific space launch.
The mission was canceled until the next launch window which will be exactly six weeks from today.
A favorable time for starting some kind of ambitious adventure.
My next launch window for a European trip isn’t until school is over in June.
long-winded
Tedious; overlong; given to too much talking.
Everyone was bored by the old man’s long-winded stories.
Here are some idiomatic expressions using the word ‘wind’.
Knock the wind out of somebody
To knock the wind out of somebody is to make them breathless.
- The blow knocked the wind out of me.
Catch / get the wind of someone
To catch or get the wind of someone is to be aware of their presence.
- If the deer catches wind of us, he will run into the woods.
- How could he have got wind of our plans? (= How could he have got information about our plans?)
A lot of wind
If something is a lot of wind, it is empty talk or boasting
- The challenger says that he will knock out the champion in the first round, but that is a lot of wind.
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Manjusha Nambiar
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