gusty
1 Americanadjective
-
gustier,
comparative
-
gustiest
superlative
-
blowing or coming in gusts, as wind, rain, or storms.
-
affected or marked by gusts of wind, rain, etc..
a gusty day.
-
occurring or characterized by sudden bursts or outbursts, as sound or laughter.
-
full of meaningless, pretentious talk.
gusty speechmaking.
-
vigorous; hearty; zestful.
a gusty woman.
adjective
-
gustier,
comparative
-
gustiest
superlative
adjective
-
blowing or occurring in gusts or characterized by blustery weather
a gusty wind
-
given to sudden outbursts, as of emotion or temperament
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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing gusty
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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.
See Examples For:
The hurricane is expected to weaken as it moves inland Saturday, “but Isaias is expected to continue producing gusty winds well inland,” the National Weather Service said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Large hail, lightning and gusty winds could accompany the showers and it will feel rather humid for many.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The combination of extreme heat, gusty winds and low humidity brings a “significant risk” of “large plume dominated fires with rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” according to forecasters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
"The wildfire danger level will continue to increase, reaching extreme levels and making firefighting efforts more difficult due to high temperatures, locally gusty southerly winds and widespread low humidity," it said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
A few preliminary gusty showers, and then a strong steady rain.
From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck
It’s also possible winds could be locally gustier in the area of the fire, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2021
As the wind crosses the Cascades, it becomes gustier and drier, adding to the wildfire danger there.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 12, 2021
Mountain wind is often "stronger, gustier and less predictable," Lane said.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 22, 2013
"We're looking at a cold front arriving this weekend, which will mean lower temperatures but a lot gustier winds," he said.
From Reuters ● Sep. 1, 2011
His wife, in her gustier moments, thought it sheer weakness, this persistent turning away from evil, this refusal to investigate and dissect, to take sides, to wrestle.
From The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight by Elizabeth
“It’ll probably be breezy just about everywhere, but gustiest along the coast and then across portions in the north like the San Juans and up toward Bellingham,” Kovacik said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023
It's one thing to title a ballad "The Edge of Glory"—to belt out lyrics about "hanging on a moment of truth" and "dancing in the flames" over the gustiest possible power chords.
From Slate ● May 23, 2011
In Nebraska, where political oratory is apt to be gusty, the memory of William Jennings Bryan, greatest and gustiest of Nebraska politicians, is revered by many people.
From Time Magazine Archive
The gustiest characterization in The Lusty Men is provided by Arthur Hunnicutt as a punchy ex-broncobuster with a busted leg.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
