gale

noun

ˈgāl 

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

Oh, Heaven! the soft refreshing gale / It breathes into my breast!

—Henry Kirke White

2

: an emotional outburst

gales of laughter

Synonyms of gale

• 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

Gale, storm warnings issued on Great Lakes The weather service has issued gale warnings across the Great Lakes. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 26 Nov. 2025

Out in the ferocious gales of the North Sea, on the overcrowded routes of the Irish Sea and the English Channel, and off to the islands’ west, the wide Atlantic herself. —Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025

Such physical effects of wind are translatable; and so, most important of all, are the quarters from which the blasts or the breezes or the gales appear to come. —Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025

Widespread southerly winds with gale force to storm force gusts are expected with rough to very rough seas for the inner waters and outer waters. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 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