A gust is a sudden, strong burst of wind that comes and goes quickly. When you're walking outside on a breezy day and a powerful blast of air suddenly pushes against you, that's a gust. It might blow your hat off your head or send leaves swirling through the air before dying down just as quickly as it arrived.

Gusts are different from steady winds. A steady wind blows continuously at about the same speed, like a fan running in your room. A gust is more like someone turning that fan on high for just a few seconds, then back down. When weather forecasters warn about gusty winds, they mean the wind will be unpredictable, with these sudden strong bursts mixed in with calmer moments.

Sailors and pilots pay close attention to gusts because they can make steering difficult. A gust of wind might suddenly fill a sailboat's sails and tip it sideways, or push an airplane as it's trying to land.

As a verb, gust means to blow in sudden bursts. You can also use the word for other sudden bursts: a gust of rain is a quick, heavy shower, and people sometimes describe a gust of laughter when someone bursts out laughing unexpectedly.