downdraft

noun

down·​draft ˈdau̇n-ˌdraft 

1

: a downward current of gas (such as air during a thunderstorm)

2

: decline sense 1

an economic downdraft

Examples of downdraft in a Sentence

a strong downdraft from the thunderstorm

Recent Examples on the Web

That has implications for Lake Tahoe, where an afternoon downdraft hitting warm lake air could generate sudden wind spikes and dangerous waves similar to those seen on June 21. —Bethany Wales, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025

Meteorologists attributed the damage to powerful dry microbursts known as virga bombs, where evaporating rain triggers sudden and violent downdrafts. —Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 2 July 2025

Wrapped around the bright spot of the updraft, darker patches shown in Juno's data mark where downdrafts carried a slushy mix of ammonia and water back down to the Jovian depths. —Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The downdraft was despite a Mainland China media report noting that early sales for the 618 (June 18) shopping festival, similar to Singles Day, were up fourfold year-over-year (YoY), with 80,000 brands seeing double the turnover and 500 million orders already placed. —Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for downdraft

• abaft
• aircraft
• camshaft
• crankshaft
• engraft
• priestcraft
• redraft
• schoolcraft
• spacecraft
• stagecraft
• statecraft
• updraft

Kids Definition

downdraft

noun

down·​draft -ˌdraft 

-ˌdrȧft

: a downward current of gas (as air in a chimney or during a thunderstorm)