What does gale mean?
A gale is a powerful wind — stronger than a breeze but short of a full storm — conventionally measured at forces 7 to 10 on the Beaufort scale, corresponding to sustained speeds of roughly 32 to 63 miles per hour. At such strength a gale bends trees, tears branches loose, complicates sea travel, and makes walking an effort, so the word carries connotations of wildness and exposure. Weather forecasters use it precisely, distinguishing near, fresh, and strong gales, while everyday speakers reach for it loosely: in Britain, saying 'it's blowing a gale outside' instantly conveys ferociously windy conditions. The word also has a figurative life, most often in the phrase 'a gale of laughter', which describes infectious, uncontrollable merriment sweeping through a group. Derived terms such as 'gale-force' are firmly established in both meteorology and metaphor. Compact, vivid, and centuries old, 'gale' remains the natural choice when ordinary 'wind' simply will not do justice to the weather — or the mood.
nounA very strong wind, especially one blowing at forces 7–10 on the Beaufort scale (roughly 32–63 mph); by extension, an outburst or flood of something, such as laughter.
- A strong wind, typically between a fresh gale (Beaufort force 7) and a whole gale/storm boundary (force 10), i.e. roughly 32–63 mph.
- An outburst or profusion of something, especially laughter ('a gale of laughter').
"The fishermen stayed in harbour as a fierce gale swept in from the north Atlantic."
"The old lighthouse has stood firm against every gale the winter could throw at it."
"Her joke set off a gale of laughter that echoed down the corridor."
Standard plural; commonly used in plural when describing a season or region prone to repeated storms, e.g. 'winter gales'.
"Autumn gales batter this stretch of coast every year."
On the Beaufort scale sailors still use today, a 'fresh gale' doesn't mean mild weather — it means winds strong enough to bend whole trees and slow every truck on the road.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of gale
The origin of 'gale' is genuinely obscure, and even major dictionaries mark it as uncertain. The word appears in English around the early 16th century, first in nautical contexts, and some scholars have linked it to Old Norse sources associated with howling or screaming wind, though this connection is not proven. What is certain is that its early use was tied to seafaring life, where naming grades of dangerous wind was a matter of survival — a tradition later formalized by the Beaufort scale in the early 19th century. Because its ancestry is unresolved, 'gale' has no securely identified cognates in other languages.
Related word forms
How gale is actually used
In everyday British English, 'it's blowing a gale' is a common informal way to describe very windy weather. Meteorologically, the term is precisely graded (near gale, fresh gale, strong gale), but in general use any violently windy day may be called a gale. The figurative sense with laughter is chiefly used in narrative writing.
Easily confused with gale
A gait is a manner of walking or running, while a gale is a strong wind — the words merely look and sound similar.
A gauge is an instrument for measuring or a standard measure, unrelated to the violent wind called a gale.