gale

noun

ˈgāl 

1

a

: a strong current of air:

(1)

: a wind from 32 to 63 miles per hour (about 51 to 102 kilometers per hour)

(2)

: fresh gale see Beaufort Scale Table

b

archaic : breeze

2

: an emotional outburst

gales of laughter

Synonyms

• explosion
• burst
• gust
• outburst
• eruption
• flash
• blaze
• storm

Examples of gale in a Sentence

The boat was damaged in a strong gale.

The winds approached gale force.

The audience erupted in gales of laughter.

Recent Examples on the Web

From the Oregon border to San Diego, NWS issued a combination of gale warnings, hazardous seas, and beach hazards statements. —Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025

The tire marks from dump trucks hadn’t yet been blown away by the incessant gales of the high desert. —Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

Liverpool can get quite frosty in late March and early April, what with gales blowing in off the Irish Sea, but the rule at Aintree on Grand National weekend, and with emphasis on Ladies Day, is: Skin is in. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

The storm, named Eowyn, brought gales to Ireland throughout Friday morning and afternoon, according to the Irish Meteorological Service. —Claire Moses, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

of obscure origin

First Known Use

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing gale

• fresh gale
• moderate gale
• near gale
• strong gale
• whole gale

Rhymes for gale

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

gale

noun

ˈgā(ə)l 

1

: a strong current of air

especially : a wind of from 32 to 63 miles (about 51 to 101 kilometers) per hour

2

: an emotional outburst

gales of laughter

Biographical Definition

Gale

biographical name

ˈgāl 

Zona 1874–1938 American novelist