# windy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈwɪn.di/ · frequency rank #13,643

## Definitions
1. Accompanied by wind.
2. Unsheltered and open to the wind.
3. Empty and lacking substance.
4. Long-winded; orally verbose.
5. Flatulent.
6. Nervous, frightened.

## Etymology
From Middle English windy, from Old English windiġ (“windy”), from Proto-Germanic *windigaz (“windy”), equivalent to wind + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wiendich (“windy”), West Frisian winich (“windy”), Dutch winderig (“windy”), German Low German windig (“windy”), German windig (“windy”), Swedish vindig (“windy”), Icelandic vindugur (“windy”).
The “frightened” sense probably derives from the phrase have the wind up.

## Easily confused with
- **wine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wine)
- **wins** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wins)
- **wing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wing)
- **wink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wink)
- **Winn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-winn)
- **wings** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wings)
- **woody** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-woody)
- **wines** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wines)
- **witty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-witty)
- **wonky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wonky)
- **wordy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wordy)
- **winery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-winery)
- **wintry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/windy-vs-wintry)
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/win-vs-windy)
- **wid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wid-vs-windy)
- **wide** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wide-vs-windy)
- **wind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wind-vs-windy)
- **wild** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wild-vs-windy)
- **wand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wand-vs-windy)
- **wily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wily-vs-windy)

## Common misspellings (8)
`iwndy`, `widny`, `winddy`, `windyy`, `winndy`, `winyd`, `wnidy`, `wwindy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/windy