1
a
: a strong current of air:
(1)
: a wind from 32 to 63 miles per hour (about 51 to 102 kilometers per hour)
(2)
b
archaic
: breeze
2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
Synonyms
Examples of gale in a Sentence
The boat was damaged in a strong gale.
The winds approached gale force.
The audience erupted in gales of laughter.
Recent Examples on the Web
The deadliest wreck in Lake Michigan – and all of the Great Lakes – was the Lady Elgin, which sank in 1860 after it was rammed by the schooner Augusta less than 10 miles from shore during a gale.
—
Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
One of the most famous modern Great Lakes shipwrecks is the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that also sank in Lake Superior in 1975 during a terrible gale.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 1 May 2024
Retailer’s roof caves in from storm Gusting gales knocked several trees into Sacramento homes and caused damage to businesses.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2024
Mariners watched barometers plummet as heavy snows swept across the state with accompanying falling temperatures and severe gales.
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024
With the gale force winds brought on by the storm, a 40-foot sailboat’s mast broke off near Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, Brian Fisk, a firefighter and public information officer for the Long Beach Fire Department, told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
Forecasters warned of dangerous beach and sea conditions through the middle of the week, and issued a gale warning due to high winds.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024
This weak layer, buried one to two feet below the snow surface, is being loaded with fresh snow from Wednesday’s fierce winter storm and gale force winds.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024
All his life, thoughts, feelings and sensory information have coursed through him at gale force.
—Jon Mooallem, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2023
Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
One of the most famous modern Great Lakes shipwrecks is the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that also sank in Lake Superior in 1975 during a terrible gale.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 1 May 2024
Retailer’s roof caves in from storm Gusting gales knocked several trees into Sacramento homes and caused damage to businesses.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2024
Mariners watched barometers plummet as heavy snows swept across the state with accompanying falling temperatures and severe gales.
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024
With the gale force winds brought on by the storm, a 40-foot sailboat’s mast broke off near Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, Brian Fisk, a firefighter and public information officer for the Long Beach Fire Department, told McClatchy News in a phone interview.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
Forecasters warned of dangerous beach and sea conditions through the middle of the week, and issued a gale warning due to high winds.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024
This weak layer, buried one to two feet below the snow surface, is being loaded with fresh snow from Wednesday’s fierce winter storm and gale force winds.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024
All his life, thoughts, feelings and sensory information have coursed through him at gale force.
—Jon Mooallem, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gale. Accessed 7 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gale
noun1
: a strong current of air
especially
: a wind of from 32 to 63 miles (about 51 to 101 kilometers) per hour
2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
Biographical Definition
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