gust

A gust is not just any wind. It is a sudden, short burst of stronger air. Think of a sailboat moving along smoothly, then a quick rush of wind fills the sails and pushes it forward. Or imagine standing on a beach when a gust throws sand into your face. Gusts are often hard to predict, so they stand out in otherwise calmer weather. The word can also be used for a sudden wave of feeling, though this is less common than the weather meaning.

A gust is a short, sudden burst of wind. It is not a steady breeze, but a quick increase in wind speed that lasts for a moment. Picture a calm day when a strong rush of air suddenly shakes the leaves or sends a hat rolling down the street. That is a gust. Sailors pay attention to gusts because they can quickly change how a boat moves, and weather reports often mention them when conditions are changeable or rough.

The word is sometimes also used in a wider, more literary way for a sudden burst of something else, especially a feeling or reaction. You might read about a gust of laughter or a gust of anger, meaning a quick, strong wave that rises and then passes. These uses are much less common than the meaning related to wind, but they keep the same idea of sudden force.

The word comes from an old Scandinavian root linked to rushing or blowing hard. That idea of sudden force is still at the center of the word today. Most of the time, when people use gust, they mean a brief, strong movement of air. In some contexts, especially descriptive writing, it can also mean a quick, forceful wave of something less physical. In every case, the feeling is the same: something arrives fast, hits with strength, and does not last long.