Gust

ɡʌst

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
3 meanings3 questions

Definitions

3 meanings
1

A sudden strong rush of wind.

ɡʌst

nounneutralBeginner
General

A sudden gust of wind rattled the windows.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're outside on a windy day. Sometimes, you feel a really strong, sudden puff of wind, like a surprise hug from the weather. That's a gust!

👶 For kids: A quick, strong puff of wind.

More Examples

2

The sail of the boat was nearly ripped away by a strong gust.

3

The weather forecast predicted gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.

How It's Used

Weather

"The wind picked up, and a sudden gust blew the leaves off the trees."

Literary

"The poem described a gust of longing that swept through the protagonist."

2

A sudden outburst of emotion or feeling.

ɡʌst

nounneutralmedium
General

A sudden outburst of emotion.

A gust of laughter swept through the audience.

💡 Simply: Sometimes you feel a sudden wave of feeling, like a quick burst of laughter or anger. It's like the wind blowing your emotions around. That's a gust of emotion!

👶 For kids: A sudden burst of feeling, like laughing really hard or feeling really mad.

More Examples

2

She felt a gust of fear as she entered the haunted house.

3

A gust of nostalgia washed over him as he looked at the old photographs.

How It's Used

Literary

"A gust of laughter filled the room after the comedian's joke."

Psychology

"A gust of anger momentarily overwhelmed him."

Tip:Think of emotions rushing like a *gust* of wind.
3

To blow in sudden, strong gusts.

ɡʌst

verbneutralmedium
General

To blow in sudden gusts.

The wind gusted all afternoon.

💡 Simply: Imagine the wind being a bit wild and playing 'peek-a-boo'. It comes and goes quickly, with strong puffs. It means the wind is gusting!

👶 For kids: When the wind blows in strong, quick puffs.

More Examples

2

The storm started to gust before the rain arrived.

3

The sail of the boat gusted, causing it to almost capsize.

How It's Used

Weather

"The wind gusted violently throughout the night."

Tip:Imagine the wind *gust*ing strongly.

Synonyms & Antonyms

From Old Norse *gustr* meaning "a sudden rush of wind."

The word 'gust' has been used since the 14th century, primarily to describe a sudden rush of wind, but later extended to emotional outbursts.

Memory tip

Think of a strong wind *gust*ing suddenly.

Word Origin

LanguageOld Norse
Original meaning

"a sudden rush of wind"

Base: gust
sudden guststrong gustfierce gustgust of windgust of laughtergust of emotion

Common misspellings

gusstghust

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written