windlike

Windlike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or is influenced by the characteristics of the wind. It conveys aspects such as swift, fluid movement, changing direction, or an invisible, pervasive force.

In literature and descriptive writing, windlike describes motion or effect that evokes wind, such as windlike ripples on a surface or windlike swirls in smoke. In scientific contexts, the term is typically metaphorical rather than a technical descriptor, signaling qualitative similarity to wind rather than a defined mechanism.

In geomorphology and earth science, windlike processes refer to those driven by aeolian forces, and wind-sculpted features such as dunes or yardangs illustrate the wind's shaping power; the term stresses analogy rather than a specific process.

The word is formed from wind plus the suffix -like, and is attested in English from the early modern period.

See also breeze, gust, aeolian.