What does 飘然而至 mean? My context is an old, untranslated flashcard I've found.
My guess it means "like a feather", referring to low weight and/or susceptibility to outside force.

What are meaningful contexts and according translations for 飘然而至?
It means "to breeze (in)".

To examine this in more detail, the phrase 飘然而至 simply means "to arrive" in a 飘然 manner", and 飘然 has a couple of interconnected meanings:


very quickly
unrestrained, unencumbered; carefree
flowing loosely


A good overall translation would be "to breeze (in)". However, the precise translation can be adjusted depending on the context. For example:


这寒冷的冬季飘然而至 -> "The cold winter arrived swiftly."
凤凰涅槃, 飘然而至 -> "A phoenix flies over nimbly."
绝世美少女飘然而至 -> "A peerless beauty breezes in."
飘然而至的感伤 -> "Sentimental sadness sweeps over (me)." (inspired by @TommieC.'s answer)