What does "gale" mean?
A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
Gale
/ɡeɪl/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
- Grammar: gale is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: air, black squall, blast, blaze.
- Useful contrasts: gentle breeze, becalming, calm.
- Usage evidence: We got our roof blown off in the gale.
How to use "gale"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gale" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gale" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gale" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gale" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gale" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "gale", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A very strong wind, more than a breeze, less than a storm; number 7 through to 9 winds on the 12-step Beaufort scale.
"It's blowing a gale outside."
- 2 A shrub, also called sweet gale or bog myrtle (Myrica gale), that grows on moors and fens.
- 3 A periodic payment, such as is made of a rent or annuity. archaic
"Gale day - the day on which rent or interest is due."
- 4 a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale wordnet
- 5 An outburst, especially of laughter.
"a gale of laughter"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The personal mining plot of a freeminer.
"As a rule the free miners do not work their own 'gales,' but dispose of them to capitalists."
- 7 A light breeze. archaic, literary
"A little gale will soon disperse that cloud."
Verb
- 1 To cry; groan; croak. dialectal, intransitive
- 2 To sail, or sail fast.
- 3 To talk. dialectal, intransitive
- 4 To sing; utter with musical modulations. dialectal, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A unisex given name.
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Alexander County, Illinois.
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Center Township, Hendricks County, Indiana.
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Upshur County, West Virginia.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; A town in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin.
Example
"We got our roof blown off in the gale."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gale"?
Common synonyms include: air, black squall, blast, blaze, blizzard, blow.
How do you use "gale" in a sentence?
We got our roof blown off in the gale.
How do you pronounce "gale"?
Pronounced /ɡeɪl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English galen, from Old English galan (“to sing, enchant, call, cry, scream; sing charms, practice incantation”), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (“to roop, sing, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout, scream, charm away”). Cognate with Danish gale (“to crow”), Swedish gala (“to crow”), Icelandic gala (“to sing, chant, crow”), Dutch galm (“echo, sound, noise”). Related to yell.
Etymology 2
From Middle English gale (“a wind, breeze”), possibly from Old English galan, possibly an unknown North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (“a breeze”), Danish gal (“furious, mad”), both from Old Norse gala (“to sing”), and thus ultimately related to the above word (etymology 1).
Etymology 3
From Middle English gaile, gawl, gawwyl, gaȝel, gagel, from Old English gagel, gagelle, gagille, gagolle (“gale; sweet gale”), from Proto-West Germanic *gagul, from Proto-Germanic *gagulaz (“gale; sweet-willow”). Cognate with Scots gaul, gall (“bog-myrtle”), Dutch gagel (“wild myrtle”), German Gagel (“myrtle-bush”), Icelandic gaglviður (“sweet-gale; myrtle”).
Etymology 4
From Middle English gavel (“rent; tribute”), from Old English gafol.