southwest
gb/sˌaʊθwˈɛst/ us/sˌaʊθwˈɛst/
A2
English
~ 4700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
relation
1
Direction halfway between south and west
The direction that is halfway between south and west.
Usage pattern:
[something] is to the southwest of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'southwest' with 'south-western', which is an adjective meaning 'in or from the southwest'.
Synonyms
southwesterly (More formal or technical term for the same compass direction.)
Antonyms
northeast (Opposite compass direction to southwest.)
Collocations
to the southwest
|southwest corner
|southwest wind
|in the southwest
Themes
geography
|navigation
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The storm is moving toward the southwest.
- Their house is located in the southwest of the city.
- We drove southwest for three hours before stopping.
Learner examples
- The sun sets in the southwest in winter.
- My school is southwest of my home.
- We walked southwest to the park.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Southwestern part of a place or country
The part of a place that is in the southwest.
Usage pattern:
the southwest of [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'southwest' without 'the' when referring to a specific region, but 'the' is usually needed.
Synonyms
southwestern region (Neutral descriptive phrase for the same area.)
Antonyms
northeast region (Region located in the opposite direction.)
Collocations
the Southwest of England
|the American Southwest
|in the southwest
Themes
geography
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She grew up in the Southwest of France.
- The American Southwest is known for its deserts.
- Rain is expected in the southwest of the country.
Learner examples
- I live in the southwest of Spain.
- The southwest of the island is very sunny.
- He works in the southwest of the city.
adjective
B1
relation
3
Located in or from the southwest
From or in the southwestern part of a place.
Usage pattern:
[southwest] [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'southwest' (adjective) with 'southwesterly' (adjective/adverb for direction).
Synonyms
southwestern (More common adjective form; 'southwest' as adjective is less frequent but still used.)
Antonyms
northeastern (Located in or from the opposite direction.)
Collocations
southwest corner
|southwest wind
|southwest states
Themes
geography
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They entered through the southwest gate.
- A strong southwest wind blew across the fields.
- The southwest counties are mostly rural.
Learner examples
- We sat in the southwest corner of the room.
- A southwest wind made it warm today.
- The southwest part of town is very quiet.
adverb
B1
relation
4
Toward southwest direction
Going toward halfway between south and west.
Usage pattern:
to go/travel [southwest]
Synonyms
southwesterly (More formal adverb form for movement in that direction.)
Antonyms
northeastward (Moving toward the opposite direction.)
Collocations
head southwest
|travel southwest
Themes
geography
|navigation
|space
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We sailed southwest to reach the island.
- The road curves southwest after the bridge.
- Birds migrate southwest in autumn.
Learner examples
- We walked southwest to the coast.
- The river flows southwest to the sea.
- They drove southwest all day.
Grammar
Dictionary form
southwest
IPA
GB/sˌaʊθwˈɛst/
US/sˌaʊθwˈɛst/
Syllables & stress
south - w - est (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (w)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: southwest
Noun
- Base: southwest
Word family
Core family
southwestern
adjective
Related words
southwesterly
adjective
southwestward
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
northeast
noun A2
Expressions
the American Southwest
1/ðə əmˈɛɹɪkən sˌaʊθwˈɛst/
fixed phrase
Southwestern region of United States
The dry, warm area in the southwestern United States, including states like Arizona and New Mexico.
Examples
- Many tourists visit the American Southwest for its national parks.
- Native American cultures have deep roots in the American Southwest.
to the southwest of [something]
1/tə ðə sˌaʊθwˈɛst əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Located to the southwest of something
In a position that is to the southwest from something else.
Examples
- Portugal lies to the southwest of Spain.
- The island is about 50 miles to the southwest of the mainland.