gust
/ɡʌst/noun, verb
gust is spelled G-U-S-T: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, gust means “A strong, abrupt rush of wind” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of gust is gusts.
How many letters and syllables are in gust?
| Letters | 4: G-U-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is gust?
Gust appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gust?
- /ɡʌst/
- /ɡʊst/
Gust has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-gust.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with gust?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as gust.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: guts.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of gust
- gusts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- gusting participle, present
- gusted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gust mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A strong, abrupt rush of wind.
- 2
Any rush or outburst (of water, emotion, etc.).
they are merely driven about by every sudden gust and impulse of the mind
- 3
archaicThe physiological faculty of taste.
- 4
Relish, enjoyment, appreciation.
, "The Spirit of Grace" An ox will relish the tender flesh of kids with as much gust and appetite.
- 5
Intellectual taste; fancy.
verb
- 1
To blow in gusts.
- 2
obsoleteTo taste.
- 3
obsoleteTo have a relish for.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gust in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | souffle, coup de vent, bourrasque, rafale |
| German | Bö |
| Portuguese | ventania, rabanada, rajada, lufada, lufa, pé de vento |
| Spanish | ráfaga, racha, volada, ventolera, fugada , ramalazo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gust come from?
Apparently from an unrecorded Middle English *gust, from Old Norse gustr (“a gust, blast”), from Proto-Germanic *gustiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-. Cognate with Icelandic gustur (“gust of wind”). Related also to Old Norse gusa (“to gush forth”), Old High German gussa (“flood”), Middle English guschen (> English gush). The English word was not recorded before Shakespeare.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).