close-hauled

close-hauled — adjective

1. describing a sailboat whose sails have been pulled in tight so that the boat can

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a sailboat whose sails have been pulled in tight so that the boat can travel at a steep angle toward the direction the wind is coming from, instead of moving with the wind behind it.

例句

The fishing boat stayed close-hauled all morning against the cold north wind.

predicative use: stay close-hauled

The schooner's crew kept her close-hauled through the night with sails trimmed against the gale.

kept + [vessel] + close-hauled (object complement)

同義詞
  • close to the wind

    a phrase rather than a single word; describes the same point of sail but is less technical

  • on the wind

    another sailing phrase referring to the same trim of the sails

反義詞
  • downwind

    sailing with the wind behind the boat, the opposite direction of travel

  • running

    the point of sail where the wind comes from directly behind the vessel

文法句型

be close-hauled

a close-hauled [vessel]

用法筆記

Common in the structures 'to sail close-hauled' (adverbial use) and 'a close-hauled [boat type]' (attributive adjective). This is a technical term used almost exclusively in sailing and naval contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The boat sailed close-hauled with the wind pushing it from behind.
✅The boat sailed close-hauled straight into the wind.
💡Close-hauled specifically means sailing toward the wind, not away from it.