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

• agony
• blaze
• burst
• ebullition
• eruption
• explosion
• fit
• flare
• flare-up
• flash
• flush
• gush
• gust
• outburst
• paroxysm
• spasm
• 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

Fierce gales hit the Irish Sea in late October 1859. —Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 14 Apr. 2025

It is highly recommended that mariners without the proper experience seek safe harbor prior to the onset of gale conditions. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025

More:The legendary gales of November left the Great Lakes strewn with tragic shipwrecks Michigan was once the lead supplier of rye to distilleries Before Prohibition, which occurred from 1920 to 1933, Michigan was the largest rye-producing state in the country. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 31 Dec. 2024

It is highly recommended that mariners without the proper experience seek safe harbor prior to the onset of gale conditions. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 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