gust

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
obsolete
a
: the sensation of taste
2
: keen delight

gust

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a sudden brief rush of wind
2
: a sudden outburst : surge
a gust of emotion
gustily adverb
gustiness noun
gusty adjective

gust

3 of 3

verb

gusted; gusting; gusts

intransitive verb

: to blow in gusts
winds gusting up to 40 mph

Did you know?

Gust Beyond Wind

You're no doubt familiar with the simple gust that means "a brief burst of wind." At least a century and a half before that word first appeared in print in the late 16th century, however, a differently derived homograph came on the scene. The windy gust is probably derived from an Old Norse word gustr, whereas our older featured word (which is now considerably rarer than its look-alike) comes to us through Middle English from gustus, the Latin word for "taste." Gustus gave English another word as well. Gusto (which now usually means "zest" but can also mean "an individual or specific taste") comes to us from gustus by way of Italian.

Examples of gust in a Sentence

Verb The forecast calls for winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Officials across the region warned of winds from 25 to 65 mph, with gusts up to 75 mph. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Southwest wind 6 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 The southwest wind is 5 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 Winds should blow from the south around 10 mph, with higher gusts. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Offshore winds also are expected to begin blowing Monday and last into Tuesday, with gusts upward of 50 mph near the border of San Diego and Imperial counties and 20 mph at the coast. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Wind gusts of up to 30 mph and penny-sized hail (0.75 inches) are expected. Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 This article, originally published March 1, 2024, has been updated with damage to homes and wind gusts picking up again. Karen Hickman, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 Wind gusts of up to 60 mph will continue to blow through the lower elevations alongside snow. Sara Tonks, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Monday remains windy and on the cool side with potential peak gusts up to 50 mph not exiting the area until late tomorrow. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Outside of storms, wind gusts up to 45 MPH are possible this evening through overnight. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 At night, the NWS forecasts gusts to maintain with temperatures dropping to a low of around 34 degrees. Tony Roberts, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2024 Disruptive wind gusts up to 40 mph are also possible for cities along the East Coast on Tuesday, including New York and Boston. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 The National Weather Service said wind gusts stronger than 100 mph were expected in parts of the Sierra through early Monday. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Strong southerly wind gusts up to 50 mph are expected. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 Torrential rain and high winds caused widespread destruction in the state on Sunday and Monday, with up to 10 inches or more of rain in some locations and wind gusts up to 102 mph that downed massive trees and power lines. USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2024 Daytime temperatures make a run at the upper 40s as winds gust from the north. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English guste, from Latin gustus; akin to Latin gustare to taste — more at choose

Noun (2)

probably from Old Norse gustr; akin to Old High German gussa flood, and perhaps to Old English gēotan to pour — more at found

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1813, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gust was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near gust

Cite this Entry

“Gust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gust. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gust

noun
ˈgəst
1
: a sudden brief rush of wind
2
: a sudden outburst
a gust of anger
gusty
ˈgəs-tē
adjective

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