gust
1 Americannoun
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a sudden, strong blast of wind.
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a sudden rush or burst of water, fire, smoke, sound, etc.
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an outburst of passionate feeling.
verb (used without object)
noun
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Archaic. flavor or taste.
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Obsolete. enjoyment or gratification.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a sudden blast of wind
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a sudden rush of smoke, sound, etc
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an outburst of emotion
verb
Synonym Usage
See wind 1.
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
A gust is a strong, short burst of air. If you're walking around on a brisk, cold day, hold on to your papers tightly — a gust of wind could sweep in and send your notes flying into the air. You've probably seen the famous image of Marilyn Monroe standing on a sidewalk with her white dress blowing in the breeze from a subway grate — that might be the most famous gust of air in popular culture. Gust comes from the Old Norse word gustr, meaning "a cold blast of wind." Gust also can be used to describe other things that come on with a sudden burst, like a violent gust of rain or an unexpected gust of sadness.
Vocabulary lists containing gust
Wind Power: The Words Beneath Your Wings
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Chains
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 8
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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.
Just over a year later, Vickers was called into the office of Gust Avrakotos, who led the CIA’s Afghanistan task force.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 4, 2023
"The area is enormous. I haven't seen anything like this before," said Johannes Gust, a worker from Germany's fire and rescue service, while loading equipment onto a truck at Turkey's Adana airport.
From Reuters • Feb. 7, 2023
Gust explained that spinal taps on these patients show high levels of cytokines floating in the fluid surrounding the spine and brain.
From Scientific American • Nov. 9, 2019
“I’m a back-seat driver,” Gust said as she raised questions, amid some disconcerting grinding, about whether Brown was in the correct gear for the ride downhill.
From Washington Post • Jan. 7, 2019
His feet flew off the pedals as he barreled straight for Gust Trishalts blacksmith shop.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
