gusty

IPA/ˈɡʌsti/
KK[ɡˈʌsti]IPA/ˈɡʌsti/

gusty — adjective

  • gustypositive
  • gustiercomparative
  • gustiestsuperlative

1. If the weather is gusty, the wind blows in sudden short bursts of strong movemen

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

If the weather is gusty, the wind blows in sudden short bursts of strong movement, rather than steadily for a long time.

Example

Gusty winds swept the fallen leaves across the carpark outside the library.

collocation: gusty + winds

The gusty weather kept the small fishing boat in the harbour all morning.

Common collocations
  • gusty winds
  • gusty conditions
  • gusty weather
  • gusty day
  • gusty afternoon
Synonyms
  • windy

    more general — describes any noticeable wind, not just bursts

  • blustery

    noisier and often accompanied by rain or snow; more intense than gusty

  • breezy

    pleasant light wind; much weaker than gusty

Antonyms
  • calm

    no strong wind at all

  • still

    completely without wind movement

Usage Note

Only used of wind, weather, or air movement. Do not use to describe a person's speech, mood, or behaviour — gusty does not mean 'forceful' or 'energetic' in everyday English.

Common Mistakes

She gave a gusty performance on stage.
She gave a passionate performance on stage.
gusty describes wind or weather, not a person's actions or character.

Word family

  • gust
    nounB1
  • gustily
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe wind, but with different force and character. Windy is the most general word for any noticeable wind. Breezy describes a light, pleasant wind that feels refreshing. Blustery describes a noisy, powerful wind that often brings rain and feels unpleasant. Gusty sits between windy and blustery: the wind comes in sudden, strong bursts rather than blowing steadily. For example: 'It was a blustery day with rain lashing the windows.' but 'A gusty wind nearly knocked me off my bicycle.' Use gusty when the wind changes strength suddenly rather than blowing steadily.

windy ↗breezy ↗blustery ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • gusty winds
  • gusty conditions
  • gusty weather
  • gusty day
  • gusty afternoon
  • gusty morning

Etymology

Old NorseEnglish

Gusty comes from the noun 'gust', meaning a sudden blast of wind, which entered English from Old Norse 'gustr' (a gust). The suffix '-y' turns the noun into an adjective meaning 'having the quality of'. So gusty literally means 'having gusts'.