1
a
: a strong current of air
especially, technically
: a wind from 32 to 63 miles per hour (about 51 to 102 kilometers per hour)
b
archaic, literary
: a weak or mild current of air : breeze
… having easy gales from the W.S.W. …—
Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeOh, Heaven! the soft refreshing gale / It breathes into my breast!—Henry Kirke White
Henry Kirke White2
: an emotional outburst
gales of laughter
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 Great Lakes are under storm, gale, and heavy freezing spray warnings.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In Milwaukee, the Weather Service's office has issued a gale warning for Lake Michigan until midnight Monday.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, dangerous marine and beach conditions are expected to continue through Friday, with gale to near-storm-force winds and hazardous seas along the Pacific coast, prompting the Weather Service to issue a gale warning and a beach hazards statement.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 25 Dec. 2025
Numerous other weather alerts remain in place as well, including gale warnings, wind advisories, coastal flood advisories, and others.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gale
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Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 29 Dec. 2025
In Milwaukee, the Weather Service's office has issued a gale warning for Lake Michigan until midnight Monday.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, dangerous marine and beach conditions are expected to continue through Friday, with gale to near-storm-force winds and hazardous seas along the Pacific coast, prompting the Weather Service to issue a gale warning and a beach hazards statement.
—Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 25 Dec. 2025
Numerous other weather alerts remain in place as well, including gale warnings, wind advisories, coastal flood advisories, and others.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gale
Cite this Entry
“Gale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gale. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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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