1.
tailwind; favorable wind
A wind blowing in the same direction one is traveling, making progress easier. Originally a nautical and aviation term.
順風を受けて船が進む。
The ship moves forward with a tailwind.
飛行機は順風のおかげで予定より早く到着した。
The plane arrived earlier than scheduled thanks to a tailwind.
強い順風に乗って帆船はぐんぐん進んだ。
Riding a strong tailwind, the sailing ship surged forward.
2.
favorable conditions; smooth sailing
Figuratively, circumstances that support progress or success. Often used in the expression 順風満帆.
事業は順風に乗っている。
The business is sailing with the wind.
彼のキャリアは順風満帆だ。
His career is smooth sailing.
順風の時こそ油断してはいけない。
You must not let your guard down precisely when things are going well.
Composed of 順 (favorable, following) and 風 (wind). The figurative sense (smooth sailing) is more common in everyday usage than the literal nautical meaning.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 順風満帆 — smooth sailing (literally 'favorable wind, full sails'); a very common four-character idiom
- 順風に乗る — to ride a favorable wind; to have things going well
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 追い風: tailwind — more commonly used for the literal wind meaning in modern Japanese
- 向かい風: headwind — the opposite, both literally and figuratively
- 逆風: adverse wind, headwind — the formal antonym of 順風