windfall

play

noun wind·fall \ ˈwin(d)-ˌfȯl \

Definition of windfall

1 :something (such as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind

2 :an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage

See windfall defined for English-language learners

See windfall defined for kids

Examples of windfall in a Sentence

They received a windfall because of the tax cuts.
hitting the lottery jackpot was an incredible windfall for the recently laid-off worker

Recent Examples of windfall from the Web

Busking took longer before coming forward, consulting with family and professional financial advisors before receiving her windfall.

— gregory pratt, Daily Southtown, "Retired Palos Heights woman claims $393 million jackpot: 'An out of body experience'," 25 Aug. 2017
That creates huge windfalls for publishers such as Wiley, SpringerNature, and particularly Elsevier, which recorded a 37% profit margin last year.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing," 23 Aug. 2017
Wyoming, which will begin alcohol sales this year, estimates a $290,000 annual windfall.

— mark zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "SDSU considers alcohol sales at Viejas," 24 July 2017
Too many governments spent, rather than invested or saved, this windfall.

— The Economist, "Latin America’s disappointing economic growth," 20 July 2017
The latest decline follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s election in November, which sent the stock soaring as much as 39 percent over four months, giving Goldman employees a huge paper windfall before the rally cooled.

— dakin campbell, Bloomberg.com, "Goldman Partners Mark End of Era as Stock Holding Drops Below 5%," 20 July 2017
Clearly, though, it would be viewed as a massive strategic windfall for Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and other capitals with an interest in counteracting the influence of the United States and NATO.

— marc c. johnson, National Review, "As Turkey and NATO Drift Apart, Russia, China, and Iran Stand to Gain," 19 July 2017
After A.O.L. purchased The Huffington Post for $315 million, in 2013, Huffington earned a windfall of some $21 million.

— vanityfair.com, "Is Arianna Huffington Worse for Uber Than Travis Kalanick?," 10 July 2017
Hamilton Count Auditor Dusty Rhodes spends a lot of time these days explaining this to taxpayers, who often think schools and local governments are getting a windfall if property values go up.

— randy tucker, Cincinnati.com, "What's your house worth? Probably less than before recession," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'windfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of windfall

15th century

windfall Synonyms

Synonyms

benediction, benefit, boon, felicity, godsend, good, manna, blessing

Antonyms

affliction, bane, curse, evil, plague, scourge

Related Words

grace, mercy; favor, kindness, mitzvah; advantage, aid, assistance, gift, help, relief, support; anodyne, comfort, consolation, solace; bonus, extra, lagniappe; delight, joy, pleasure

Near Antonyms

hex, hoodoo, jinx; bother, irritant, nuisance, pest; disadvantage; cross, misery, trial, tribulation

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth

WINDFALL Defined for English Language Learners

windfall

play

noun

Definition of windfall for English Language Learners

: an unexpected amount of money that you get as a gift, prize, etc.

WINDFALL Defined for Kids

windfall

play

noun wind·fall \ ˈwind-ˌfȯl \

Definition of windfall for Students

1 :something (as fruit from a tree) blown down by the wind

2 :an unexpected gift or gain

Learn More about windfall

See words that rhyme with windfall Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for windfall Spanish Central: Translation of windfall Nglish: Translation of windfall for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of windfall for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up windfall? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

windfall

Definition of windfall

From the M-W Editors

Examples of windfall in a Sentence

Recent Examples of windfall from the Web

First Known Use of windfall

windfall Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

WINDFALL Defined for English Language Learners

windfall

Definition of windfall for English Language Learners

WINDFALL Defined for Kids

windfall

Definition of windfall for Students

Learn More about windfall

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066