windfall

noun

wind·​fall ˈwin(d)-ˌfȯl 

1

: something (such as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind

2

: an unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain or advantage

Synonyms

• benediction
• benefit
• blessing
• boon
• felicity
• godsend
• good
• manna

Examples of windfall in a Sentence

They received a windfall because of the tax cuts.

hitting the lottery jackpot was an incredible windfall for the recently laid-off worker

Recent Examples on the Web

The slope of the hill provided good drainage, and the windfall would have kept the worst of the snow off him. —Ben East, Outdoor Life, 28 Nov. 2024

Stéphane Audran stars as Babette Hersant in this sinfully delicious film about a French woman who uses an unexpected windfall to host an amazing dinner. —Lisa Respers France, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024

The windfall is the result of revenue exceeding estimates, savings and projects that didn't get done, according to city documents. —Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024

The stock’s rally has generated a windfall, at least on paper, for Trump, whose majority ownership stake in the company is now worth more than $3 billion. —Justin Elliott, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

windfall

noun

wind·​fall -ˌfȯl 

1

: something (as a tree or fruit) blown down by the wind

2

: an unexpected gift, gain, or help