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
On the Great Lakes, a gale warning and small craft advisory remain in place for lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron, including Saginaw Bay.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Numerous other weather alerts remain in place as well, including gale warnings, wind advisories, coastal flood advisories, and others.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Choppy lake waves versus smooth ocean swells Weather in the Great Lakes is erratic with the meanest coming in mid-October through November, infamously known as the gales of November.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 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
See All Example Sentences for gale
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Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Numerous other weather alerts remain in place as well, including gale warnings, wind advisories, coastal flood advisories, and others.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Choppy lake waves versus smooth ocean swells Weather in the Great Lakes is erratic with the meanest coming in mid-October through November, infamously known as the gales of November.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 24 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
See All Example Sentences for gale
Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gale. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.
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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