What does gusted mean?
Gusted is the simple past tense and past participle of gust, a verb chiefly used for wind that blows in sudden, strong bursts. It is common in descriptive and literary prose: a storm may gust across an open landscape, sending leaves and spray before it, while a doorway can remain subjected to a fierce wind that gusted through the night. In figurative use, a person, vehicle, or crowd may be said to gust or surge forward with force, although this usage is less common and can sound emphatic. The verb is especially useful when the brief, repeated violence of the wind matters rather than its steady direction. In ordinary reporting, “blew” may be more neutral, but “gusted” highlights abrupt changes in strength and adds a sense of turbulence, urgency, and physical force. Because the same form serves both past tense and past participle, it naturally appears in sequences such as “the wind gusted” and “the wind has gusted all night.”
verbThe past tense and past participle of gust. It means to blow in sudden strong bursts, especially of wind, or to move or surge with great force.
- To blow in sudden, strong bursts, especially of wind.
- To move or surge forward with great force.
"A fierce wind gusted through the valley, rattling every window in the old farmhouse."
"Cold winds gusted across the exposed hillside throughout the night."
"The ferry gusted into the harbor as the storm broke over the coast."
Gusted gives the wind a brief, violent pulse: not merely blowing, but lunging.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gusted come from?
Gusted is a regular past-tense and past-participle form of gust. The English noun gust was borrowed into Middle English from Old Norse gust and is cognate with Swedish gust and Dutch gust, which also denote a sudden strong wind. The English verb was subsequently developed from the noun, producing regular inflected forms including gusted.
Related word forms
How gusted is actually used
The word is neutral in weather and news descriptions but often more dramatic in literary contexts. It emphasizes sudden changes in the strength or direction of wind rather than steady blowing.
Easily confused with gusted
Gassed means filled with gas, poisoned by gas, or propelled by gas, whereas gusted means blown in sudden strong bursts or driven forward with force.
Guested means visited or stayed as a guest, whereas gusted means blew in bursts or surged with force.