A squall is a sudden, violent burst of wind, often bringing rain, snow, or sleet. Imagine you're sailing on a calm day when dark clouds race across the sky and the wind explodes from nowhere, whipping the water into whitecaps and tilting your boat sharply. That's a squall: brief but fierce, usually lasting only minutes to half an hour.

Squalls catch sailors off guard because they strike so quickly. One moment the sea is peaceful, the next you're fighting to control your sails in howling wind and stinging rain. Weather forecasters watch for squalls because they can knock down trees, flip small boats, and make driving dangerous. Unlike a steady storm that builds gradually, a squall ambushes you.

As a verb, to squall means to cry or scream loudly and suddenly. The word can also describe any sudden outburst, not just weather. A baby might unleash a squall of crying when hungry or tired. These squalls share that same quality: they erupt suddenly, loudly, and intensely, then often pass just as quickly as they arrived.