Meaning & use
gust
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A sudden, short burst of strong wind.
Grammar: Countable: use 'a gust' or 'gusts'. Often followed by 'of' + wind/air.
Patterns
- a gust of wind
- gusts of wind
- a gust of air
A sudden gust of wind blew my hat off.
The tent shook in the gusts of wind.
Gusts of up to 50 miles per hour were reported.
verbintransitive
To blow suddenly and strongly for a short time.
Grammar: No object; used mainly in weather descriptions. Often in the -ing form: 'the wind was gusting'.
Patterns
- the wind gusts
- it is gusting
- gusting to + speed
The wind gusted all night, rattling the windows.
It was gusting to 40 miles per hour during the storm.
The rain lashed down and the wind gusted around the house.
Word forms
| plural | gusts |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gusts |
| past tense | gusted |
| past participle | gusted |
| -ing form | gusting |
Common combinations
- a gust of wind
- A gust of wind slammed the door shut.
- gusts of up to
- The forecast warned of gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
- the wind gusted
- The wind gusted so hard that the umbrella turned inside out.
- a sudden gust
- A sudden gust caught the sails and pushed the boat forward.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blast
- A blast is stronger and more violent than a gust and may carry something with it, like heat or debris.
- flurry
- A flurry is a short burst of snow, rain, or activity, not usually of wind alone.
- squall
- A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind that lasts longer than a gust and often brings rain.
Opposites
Word family
- gusty adjective
- Describing weather with frequent strong gusts of wind.
- gustily adverb
- In a gusty manner; rarely used.
Commonly confused: gust or gush?
gust vs gush
Gush means a sudden flow of liquid or a burst of words, not wind. A gust is air; a gush is water or emotion.
Practice
A sudden ___ of wind blew the papers off the table.
Choose one answer.
'Gust' fits because it describes a short burst of wind. 'Gush' is for liquid, 'blast' is too strong and often explosive, and 'flurry' is for snow or a short burst of activity.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gust”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.