gale
noun
a very strong wind.
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gale
1 American
[geyl]
/ geɪl /
gale
2
American
[geyl]
/ geɪl /
noun
Gale
3
American
[geyl]
/ geɪl /
noun
-
Zona 1874–1938, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet.
-
a female or male given name.
gale
1
British
/ ɡeɪl /
noun
-
a strong wind, specifically one of force seven to ten on the Beaufort scale or from 45 to 90 kilometres per hour
-
(often plural) a loud outburst, esp of laughter
-
archaic a gentle breeze
gale
2
British
/ ɡeɪl /
noun
Etymology
Origin of gale1
First recorded in 1540–50; perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian dialect geil “uproar, unrest, boiling”
Origin of gale2
before 1000; Middle English gail, Old English gagel; cognate with German Gagel
Explanation
If there’s a gale coming your way, you better hold onto your new hat and your little dog, Toto, too, because this is an extremely strong wind. The word gale possibly originates from the Old Norse word galinn, which means “mad”, “frantic,” or “bewitched.” Weather forecasters sometimes use the term “gale-force winds” to describe conditions that aren’t quite as extreme as hurricanes or tropical storms, but probably fierce enough to snap your kite in half. Gale can also refer to other kinds of strong outbursts. For example, if someone erupts into gales of laughter, it means her friend probably said something very funny.
Vocabulary lists containing gale
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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.
A gale warning was also in effect for inner coastal waters, with officials discouraging boating until conditions improved.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
Once unfurled, it holds up in anything short of a gale.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
For a moment, I felt myself transported, like a gale off Lake Michigan had carried us all back through time.
From Slate • Nov. 10, 2025
South Africa has been hit by heavy snow, rains and gale force winds that have claimed the lives of a further five people in a road accident, and have left nearly 500,000 homes without electricity.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025
And although the gale was generating a windchill in excess of seventy below zero Fahrenheit, I felt strangely, disturbingly warm.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
