French word

rafale

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁafal/

Meaning

  • feminine noungust

Example

Fais attention, il y a des rafales de vent aujourd'hui.

Be careful, there are gusts of wind today.

Illustration for rafale (gust)

More examples

Des rafales ont renversé les chaises du café.

Gusts of wind knocked over the cafe chairs.

Core concept

A brief forceful sweep arriving all at once, whether from wind or a weapon.

Common phrases

  • rafale de vent

    gust of wind

Similar words

coup de vent: A sudden burst of strong wind lasting a short time.
bourrasque: A sudden, exceptionally strong gust of wind.

Definition in French

Souffle violent et bref, perçu comme une poussée soudaine d'air ; utilisé aussi pour désigner une salve brève (par ex. une rafale de tirs).

Word origin

French rafale comes from Italian raffica and preserves related meanings of a short violent gust and a short burst of shots.

Usage tips

  • The context normally follows rafale: rafale de vent refers to wind, while rafale de tirs refers to gunfire.

Other meanings

  • burstnoun

Opposites

  • accalmielullnoun

Word lists with this word