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
The United States is also facing gale-force productivity headwinds, such as the aging of the population and the relentlessly rising cost of health care, education, and housing.
—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
His football outing on ITV was perfectly good value, even if there was the near-instant karma of an off-camera Brooklyn gale threatening to blow the set down.
—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
Benintendi was told by announcer Len Kasper before the game that the wind was a gale blowing out, which was perfect for his moment.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Iceland, in particular, is gifted with regular gale-force winds; summer days can rotate between sun, sleet, and snow; and the terrain requires special knowledge to safely navigate.
—
Erika Owen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gale
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
His football outing on ITV was perfectly good value, even if there was the near-instant karma of an off-camera Brooklyn gale threatening to blow the set down.
—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2026
Benintendi was told by announcer Len Kasper before the game that the wind was a gale blowing out, which was perfect for his moment.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Iceland, in particular, is gifted with regular gale-force winds; summer days can rotate between sun, sleet, and snow; and the terrain requires special knowledge to safely navigate.
—
Erika Owen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 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 2 Jul. 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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