headwind

From Middle English *hedwind, from Old English hēafodwind, equivalent to head +‎ wind. Cognate with Old Norse höfuðvindr.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛdˌwɪnd/

headwind (plural headwinds)

1. A wind that blows directly against the course of a vehicle, like an aircraft, train, or ship.
2. (figuratively, by extension) A strong force that impedes or reverses progress.
   • 2022 June 16, Swati Bhat, “India's economic prospects firm despite global headwinds, says RBI”, in Gareth Jones, editor, Reuters‎, archived from the original on 16 June 2022, Macro Matters:

     "Domestic economic activity has been gaining traction in spite of formidable headwinds from external developments," the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its monthly bulletin.

• tailwind