headwind

Everyday

1. A wind blowing straight towards you, against the way you are going, which slows you down. tree →
2. (figurative) Something that makes progress harder: The business faced headwinds. tree →

In the lessons

In science and maths problems a headwind slows a plane, boat or cyclist: you subtract the wind's speed from the speed; a tailwind adds to it. Phrases: «a strong headwind», «into a headwind», «face headwinds».

Examples

• We cycled home into a strong headwind. tree →
• The plane was late because of a headwind. tree →
• A plane flies at 500 km/h; with a 50 km/h headwind its ground speed is 450 km/h. tree →
• Runners hate a headwind in a race. tree →
• The boat struggled against the headwind. tree →
• The new shop faced headwinds when prices rose. tree →

Note

One word. Opposite: tailwind (wind from behind, which helps). In maths: speed with headwind = own speed − wind speed; with tailwind = own speed + wind speed.