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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

Seven-foot waves tossed the boat in a howling gale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

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

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

The gale came into the room for a few seconds more, then Kat shut the window again.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Sir Roger Gale, MP for Herne Bay, said the ongoing disruptions were "unacceptable".

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Gale warnings are in effect this weekend for outer waters, the inner waters along the Central Coast and the Santa Barbara Channel, forecasters said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

At a later point in the call, Meta’s chief people officer, Janelle Gale, was asked about further layoffs at the company and didn’t rule them out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Curiosity, operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, landed in Gale crater in August 2012.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 28, 2026

With the fence going on and me showing up late and the Peacekeepers waiting, he thought I’d made a run for it, maybe with Gale.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

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