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Synonyms

gust

1 American  
[guhst] / gʌst /

noun

  1. a sudden, strong blast of wind.

  2. a sudden rush or burst of water, fire, smoke, sound, etc.

  3. an outburst of passionate feeling.

verb (used without object)

  1. to blow or rush in gusts.

gust 2 American  
[guhst] / gʌst /

noun

  1. Archaic. flavor or taste.

  2. Obsolete. enjoyment or gratification.

verb (used with object)

  1. Scot. to taste; savor.

gust British  
/ ɡʌst /

noun

  1. a sudden blast of wind

  2. a sudden rush of smoke, sound, etc

  3. an outburst of emotion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to blow in gusts

    the wind was gusting to more than 50 mph
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See wind 1.

Other Word Forms

  • gustable adjective
  • gustless adjective

Etymology

Origin of gust1

First recorded in 1580–90; from Old Norse gustr “a gust,” akin to gjōsa, gusa “to gust”

Origin of gust2

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin gustus a tasting (of food), eating a little, akin to gustāre to taste

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yes, along with the loss comes a predictable gust of Schadenfreude from the Duke-despising public.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

She has cold urticaria, a rare allergy which can cause her to have a reaction to as little as a gust of cool wind in summer.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

This looks plowable with near-blizzard conditions south/west of MSP by late Sunday as winds gust to 40 mph.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

They yank open industrial-grade zippers, unleashing a gust of helium, and dive chest-first onto the collapsing character.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

We stopped in a small clearing, in front of an old, abandoned outhouse, weathered to the color of ashes and looking like a gust of wind would knock it flat.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.