1
a
: a strong current of air
especially, technically
: a wind from 32 to 63 miles per hour (about 51 to 102 kilometers per hour)
b
archaic, literary
: a weak or mild current of air : breeze
… having easy gales from the W.S.W. …—
Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeOh, Heaven! the soft refreshing gale / It breathes into my breast!—Henry Kirke White
Henry Kirke White2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
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
Ponson had heard the lore of fast-developing storms in the northern Gulf — systems that escaped the notice of meteorologists — before exploding into near-gale winds, towering waves and rare but deadly storms.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The sky’s surreal red hues were reminiscent of apocalyptic scenes over Crete where the storm that hit the island with gale-force winds combined with a Saharan dust storm.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
For too long, we’ve been sold a version of resilience that looks like a solitary figure bracing against a gale.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Rain was already falling across northern Michigan Thursday morning and gale warnings have already been issued on lake Michigan and small craft advisories are in place along much of Michigan's shoreline.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gale
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Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The sky’s surreal red hues were reminiscent of apocalyptic scenes over Crete where the storm that hit the island with gale-force winds combined with a Saharan dust storm.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
For too long, we’ve been sold a version of resilience that looks like a solitary figure bracing against a gale.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Rain was already falling across northern Michigan Thursday morning and gale warnings have already been issued on lake Michigan and small craft advisories are in place along much of Michigan's shoreline.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gale
Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gale. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gale
noun1
: 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
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