southwestern
southwestern — adjective
1. located in, moving toward, or originating from the direction midway between sout
located in, moving toward, or originating from the direction midway between south and west on a compass.
The southwestern coast of Taiwan faces the Taiwan Strait.
collocation: southwestern coast
A strong southwestern wind blew across the plain all afternoon.
collocation: southwestern wind for wind direction
The train line runs along the southwestern border of the national park.
Feng grew up in a small village in the southwestern part of the province.
- southwest
Used as an adjective before nouns such as 'wind' or 'corner' with the same meaning, but more common in fixed phrases ('southwest wind').
- southwesterly
More formal register, typically used for winds or ocean currents; less common for describing static locations.
- northeastern
The opposite compass direction.
文法句型
southwestern + noun (geographic feature / region / direction)
用法筆記
Frequently used before nouns that name geographic features (coast, border, corner), administrative divisions (province, county), or wind directions. For wind direction, 'southwest wind' is also common; 'southwestern wind' places more emphasis on the adjective describing the wind's quality of origin.
常見錯誤
2. describing the culture, history, or natural environment of the American Southwes
describing the culture, history, or natural environment of the American Southwest, especially the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and nearby areas.
The restaurant serves authentic southwestern dishes with beans, corn, and chili peppers.
collocation: southwestern dishes / cuisine
Padma bought a rug with a traditional southwestern pattern in red and turquoise.
The museum has a large collection of southwestern Native American pottery.
Théo spent his summer hiking through the desert landscape of the southwestern United States.
Southwestern architecture often uses flat roofs and thick adobe walls to stay cool.
- northeastern
Refers to the opposite region of the US (New England, Mid-Atlantic).
文法句型
southwestern + noun (cuisine / architecture / culture / landscape / art)
用法筆記
This sense is specific to the United States and is most commonly used when describing food, art, architectural style, and cultural traditions originating from the desert region of the US Southwest. Outside of American contexts, use sense 1 (GEOGRAPHIC DIRECTION) instead.