WordGarden.iozephyr
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /zˈɛfə/
US
- /ˈzɛfər/
Meanings
Noun
a light, gentle breeze
Beyond the definition
Imagine a warm summer day, the sun on your skin, and a gentle breeze moving through the leaves. That is often what people mean when they say "zephyr." It is not a harsh wind or a sudden gust, but a soft, pleasant breeze. The word usually brings to mind calm, freshness, and quiet beauty.
The word comes from the ancient Greek name for the west wind. In modern English, it is mostly used in literary or poetic writing. You might read about a zephyr passing through a garden, across a field, or by an open window. It can also be used in a figurative way for something light, delicate, and gentle, such as a movement, a touch, or a feeling.
A zephyr is a soft, gentle breeze, often linked in older writing with the west wind. While any breeze may move lightly through the air, a zephyr suggests something especially mild, pleasant, and refreshing. It is the kind of wind you notice on a spring or summer day when the air feels easy and calm, not rough or forceful.
The word comes from Greek mythology, where Zephyrus was the god of the west wind. Because of that history, the term still carries a slightly poetic and classical feel. In modern English, people do not usually use it for everyday weather reports. Instead, it appears more often in stories, poems, songs, and descriptive writing, where it helps create a peaceful and graceful scene.
The meaning can also stretch beyond a real breeze. "Zephyr" may suggest anything light, delicate, or softly passing. A writer might use it for a gentle movement, a faint feeling, or a fabric that seems to float in the air. In that way, the word is both literal and figurative: it can name a mild breeze, but it can also color a sentence with a sense of softness, beauty, and calm.
Examples
- 1
Seaside
A cool zephyr drifted in from the sea as we ate on the terrace.
- 2
Home
She opened the window and let the evening zephyr stir the curtains.
- 3
Poetic image
In the poem, spring arrives on a zephyr carrying the smell of orange blossoms.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- zephyrnoun
Forms
- zephyrspluralnoun