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• gale
  gale

  noun

  a very strong wind.
• Gale
  Gale

  noun

  Zona 1874–1938, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet.

gale

¹ American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. a very strong wind.

2. Meteorology. a wind of 32–63 miles per hour (14–28 meters per second).

3. a noisy outburst.

   a gale of laughter filled the room.

   Synonyms:

   gust, fit, outbreak, eruption, burst

4. Archaic. a gentle breeze.

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gale ² American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. sweet gale.

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Gale ³ American  

[geyl] / geɪl /

noun

1. Zona 1874–1938, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, playwright, and poet.

2. a female or male given name.

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gale ¹ British  

/ ɡeɪl /

noun

1. a strong wind, specifically one of force seven to ten on the Beaufort scale or from 45 to 90 kilometres per hour

2. (often plural) a loud outburst, esp of laughter

3. archaic a gentle breeze

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gale ² British  

/ ɡeɪl /

noun

1. short for sweet gale

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gale Gale

"Conditions on Ishigaki gale force with some overnight gusts to typhoon strength."

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

An icy gale blew incessantly in concert with a torrential deluge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

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

Perhaps the violent gale, which didn’t stop blowing until 7:30 p.m., prevented them from mobilizing as early as they’d hoped.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

During the reality dating show, the pair beat Molly's ex-boyfriend Callum Jones and his partner at the time, Jessica Gale, who finished as runners-up.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Lead author Dr. Angus Gale said the work offers researchers a valuable new tool for making these quantum systems more practical.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

The move was designed to “offset the other investments we’re making,” Meta’s chief people officer, Janelle Gale, wrote at the time.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

“If you told me 20 years from now that the debt-to-GDP ratio was going to be 100%, I would be ecstatic,” said William Gale, an economist at the Brookings Institution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

After Peeta and I got home from the Games, it was several weeks before I saw Gale alone.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• cyclone
• hurricane
• monsoon
• squall
• tornado
• wind
• windstorm