Meaning & use
gale force
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Describing wind that is extremely strong, with speeds between about 63 and 87 kilometers per hour.
Grammar: Usually written with a hyphen before a noun: gale-force winds. It is not used after a linking verb in this form.
Patterns
- gale-force winds
- gale-force gusts
Gale-force winds tore down trees and power lines across the coast.
The ferry was canceled because of gale-force conditions at sea.
noununcountabletechnical
A wind speed that is as strong as a gale, used especially in weather reports.
Grammar: Used after verbs like reach, hit, or blow: winds reached gale force.
Patterns
- reach gale force
- blow at gale force
Overnight, the winds reached gale force along the southern coast.
The storm is expected to blow at gale force by tomorrow morning.
Common combinations
- gale-force winds
- Gale-force winds delayed all flights out of the city.
- gale-force gusts
- Gale-force gusts made it dangerous to walk near the cliffs.
- reach gale force
- The winds are forecast to reach gale force tonight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- storm-force
- Stronger than gale force; used for winds of a higher category on the weather scale.
- strong
- A general word for any powerful wind; gale force is much more specific and technical.
Opposites
Commonly confused: gale force or gale?
gale force vs gale
A gale is the storm itself or a very strong wind; gale force describes the strength of the wind.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Gale-force is used before a noun like 'winds'. Option 1 is less common and sounds awkward; option 3 needs 'at gale force'; option 4 is not a natural pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gale force”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.