northeast
no-THIHYST
Northeast (noun) means the direction exactly between north and east. Example: “Dark clouds are gathering over the hills in the northeast.”
noun
1
The direction exactly between north and east.
"Dark clouds are gathering over the hills in the northeast."
"The storm is moving toward the northeast."
"Their farm lies to the northeast of the village."
adjective
1
Situated toward or coming from the northeast.
"The northeast corner of the garden gets the most morning sun."
"We took the northeast road out of town to avoid the traffic."
"A strong northeast wind battered the coast."
How to use northeast
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe compass direction halfway between north and east.
Common pairings
the northeast wind
travel northeast
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Word forms
- Plural
- northeasts
- Comparative
- more northeast, farther northeast, further northeast
- Superlative
- most northeast, furthest northeast, farthest northeast
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Dark clouds are gathering over the hills in the _____.
Etymology
From Middle English "northest," from Old English "norþēast" — simply "north" plus "east."
Synonyms
View more →
northeasterly
northeastward
NE
northeastern
US
Manchuria
Inner Manchuria
Seven Sisters
Seven Sister States
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for northeast
See all rhymes for northeast →Frequently asked questions
What does “northeast” mean?
The word “northeast” means the direction exactly between north and east. In plain terms, the compass direction halfway between north and east.
How do you pronounce “northeast”?
“Northeast” is pronounced no-THIHYST (/noːˈθɪjst/ in IPA).
How do you use “northeast” in a sentence?
Here is “northeast” used in a sentence: “The storm is moving toward the northeast.”
What is another word for “northeast”?
Words with a similar meaning to “northeast” include US, Manchuria, Inner Manchuria, Seven Sisters and Seven Sister States.
What part of speech is “northeast”?
Depending on how it is used, “northeast” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “northeast” come from?
The word “northeast” comes from Old English. From Middle English "northest," from Old English "norþēast" — simply "north" plus "east.".
Is “northeast” a common word?
“Northeast” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “northeast” have?
“Northeast” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the direction exactly between north and east.
Is it northeast or north-east?
Both spellings are correct, but they belong to different varieties of English: American English writes northeast as one word, while British English usually hyphenates it as north-east. Whichever form you choose, keep it consistent throughout a piece of writing.
When should northeast be capitalized?
Capitalize Northeast when it names a specific region, as in 'the Northeast of the United States,' but keep it lowercase when it simply indicates compass direction, as in 'the wind blew from the northeast.' This follows the general rule that named regions are proper nouns while directions are not.
What degree is northeast on a compass?
Northeast sits at 45 degrees on a compass, exactly halfway between north at 0 degrees and east at 90 degrees. It is one of the four intercardinal (or ordinal) directions, along with southeast, southwest, and northwest.
What is the difference between northeast, northeastern, and northeasterly?
Northeast works as a noun for the direction and as an adjective, as in 'the northeast corner.' Northeastern is an adjective most often used for regions and places, while northeasterly typically describes movement toward the northeast or, for winds, a wind blowing from the northeast.
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