Dictionary

windfall en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈwənd.foːl/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈwɪnd.fɑl/ (cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈwɪnd.foːl/ (Australia, British, Southern, Standard)
• wĭndʹfôl without the cot–caught merger
• wĭndʹfäl (cot-caught-merger)
• (UK) audio
• /ˈwɪnd.fɔl/ (Scotland)
• /ˈwɪnd.fɔl/ without the cot–caught merger
• /ˈwɪnd.fɔːl/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English windfal, wyndfall, equivalent to wind + fall. Cognate with Middle High German wintval, wintfal, German Windfall.

Meanings

1. Something that has been blown down by the wind.
2. (uncountable) The act of something being blown down by wind.
   • The danger from windfall is greatest to trees developed in dense stands, which are tall and have slender stems, and increases with the age of the stand. 1911, United States. Forest Service, Bulletin, numbers 94-103, page 15:
3. A fruit that has fallen from a tree naturally, as from wind.
   • They couldn't reach the branches, so they ate the windfalls.
4. (figuratively) A sudden large benefit; especially, a sudden or unexpected large amount of money, as from lottery or sweepstakes winnings or an unexpected inheritance or gift.
   • One of six siblings who’d been raised by a single mother, the client had earned a windfall of around $400,000 after going viral in 2021. 2023 October 19, Brendan I. Koerner, “Watch This Guy Work, and You’ll Finally Understand the TikTok Era”, in Wired, →ISSN:
   • Businessmen rushed to get every last commodity aboard a departing ship, hoping for a windfall once the world realized these would be the very last sacks of flour available, thus driving up prices. 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:
   • In addition to following the lead of Newcastle and Crystal Palace in making this a season of glory for clubs who rarely, if ever, win a trophy, Tottenham are also set to benefit from a £100m windfall after qualifying for next season's Champions League. 2025 May 21, Simon Stone, “Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester United”, in BBC Sport:

Forms

Deriveds

windfall shares · windfall tax · windfall profit · windfall profits tax

Relateds

windthrow · serendipity

Synonyms

boon · godsend

Translations (50)

no nedfallsfrukt (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · ja 僥倖 (sudden large benefit) · hu talált pénz (sudden large benefit) · ru па́данка (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · pl wiatrołom (something that has been blown down by the wind) · bg ветрова́л (something that has been blown down by the wind) · cmn 暴利 (sudden large benefit) · vo falafluk (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · id pisang terkubak (sudden large benefit) · tr devlet kuşu (sudden large benefit) · pl spad (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · de Windbruch (something that has been blown down by the wind) · fi pudokas (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · sv fallfrukt (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · pl gratka (sudden large benefit) · vo falaflukem (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · ru вале́жник (something that has been blown down by the wind) · bg падалина (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · es breva (sudden large benefit) · ru па́далица (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · no uventet hell (sudden large benefit) · is hvalreki (sudden large benefit) · ru неожи́данная уда́ча (sudden large benefit) · mi kurapae (sudden large benefit) · hu lehullott gyümölcs (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · ga amhantar (sudden large benefit) · it cuccagna (sudden large benefit) · ru ветрова́л (something that has been blown down by the wind) · ru па́данец (something that has been blown down by the wind) · th ลาภลอย (sudden large benefit) · bg неочакван късмет (sudden large benefit) · ru па́данец (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · tli g̱éechadi (something that has been blown down by the wind) · de warmer Regen (sudden large benefit) · fr aubaine (sudden large benefit) · cy ffrwyth cwymp (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · de Fallobst (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · es fruta caída (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · cmn 意外之財 /意外之财 (sudden large benefit) · ru бурело́м (something that has been blown down by the wind) · ru опа́дыш (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · de Geldregen (sudden large benefit) · grc ἕρμαιον (sudden large benefit) · no vindfall (something that has been blown down by the wind) · fi jättipotti (sudden large benefit) · ota غنیمت (sudden large benefit) · fi tuulenkaato (something that has been blown down by the wind) · mi tāiha (something that has been blown down by the wind) · ga toradh leagtha (fruit fallen off a tree naturally) · tr talih kuşu (sudden large benefit)