noun

west

wehst

noun

The compass direction that the sun sets in; the direction 90 degrees anticlockwise from north.

"The house faces west, so we get a great sunset every evening."

"Birds were flying west in a long, ragged line."

adj

Situated in, facing, or moving toward the west.

"They bought a plot on the west side of the valley."

"A cold west wind rattled the windows all night."

name

"The West" — a loose cultural and political grouping covering the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, often contrasted with other parts of the world.

"The alliance is seen as a symbol of unity between Western nations."

How to Use West

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe direction the sun sets; also used loosely for the US/Europe/Australia bloc of countries.

Common pairings

head west the West Coast western world due west

Word Forms

further west comparative, farther west comparative, wested past tense, wests plural, Wests plural, wests singular, farthest west superlative, furthest west superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The house faces _____, so we get a great sunset every evening.

Etymology

Traces back through Old English west to a very old Germanic root tied to the word for "evening" — since west is, after all, where the sun goes down.

Rhymes for west

est test jest best pest nest rest vest zest fest lest quest

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