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Synonyms

gusty

1 American  
[guhs-tee] / ˈgʌs ti /

adjective

gustier, gustiest
  1. blowing or coming in gusts, as wind, rain, or storms.

  2. affected or marked by gusts of wind, rain, etc..

    a gusty day.

  3. occurring or characterized by sudden bursts or outbursts, as sound or laughter.

  4. full of meaningless, pretentious talk.

    gusty speechmaking.

  5. vigorous; hearty; zestful.

    a gusty woman.


gusty 2 American  
[guhs-tee, goos-tee] / ˈgʌs ti, ˈgʊs ti /

adjective

Chiefly Scot.
gustier, gustiest
  1. tasty; savory; appetizing.


gusty British  
/ ˈɡʌstɪ /

adjective

  1. blowing or occurring in gusts or characterized by blustery weather

    a gusty wind

  2. given to sudden outbursts, as of emotion or temperament

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

Etymology

Origin of gusty1

First recorded in 1590–1600; gust 1 + -y 1; gusty 1 def. 5 perhaps gust(o) + -y 1

Origin of gusty2

First recorded in 1715–25; gust 2 + -y 1

Explanation

Gusty, the adjective, describes what the wind is like when leaves are swirling around in the air, garbage blowing all over city streets, and hats refusing to stay put. Read this word too quickly and you may think it says gutsy — an entirely different word. See the base gust — as in "a gust of wind" — and you'll get more than a hint as to what gusty means. Gusty typically relates to the weather — describing blustery winds, sudden outbursts, strong on-again/ off-again blasts of cold air. Go outside the box and use it to depict a person's stormy, emotional behavior, especially if he has quick, sudden outbursts: "He was given to gusty behavior whenever you mentioned her name."

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Vocabulary lists containing gusty

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.

Gusty winds will likely develop in the evening, possibly prompting wind advisories in the Antelope Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Gusty winds will be a concern in some areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Gusty high-wind conditions are expected to continue pounding Los Angeles and Ventura counties Saturday with moderate to strong Santa Anas persisting through Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Gusty winds with occasional blizzard conditions, and potentially a few lightning strikes, could come with the snow showers, posing additional hazards.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

Henry looks at Ronan and then back at Gusty.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

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