thunderstorm

American  

[thuhn-der-stawrm] / ˈθʌn dərˌstɔrm /

noun

1. a transient storm of lightning and thunder, usually with rain and gusty winds, sometimes with hail or snow, produced by cumulonimbus clouds.

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thunderstorm British  

/ ˈθʌndəˌstɔːm /

noun

1. a storm caused by strong rising air currents and characterized by thunder and lightning and usually heavy rain or hail

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thunderstorm Scientific  

/ thŭn′dər-stôrm′ /

1. A storm of heavy rain accompanied by lightning, thunder, wind, and sometimes hail. Thunderstorms occur when moist air near the ground becomes heated, especially in the summer, and rises, forming cumulonimbus clouds that produce precipitation. Electrical charges accumulate at the bases of the clouds until lightning is discharged. Air in the path of the lightning expands as a result of being heated, causing thunder. Thunderstorms can also be caused by temperature changes triggered by volcanic eruptions and forest fires, and they occur with much greater frequency at the equatorial regions than in polar regions.

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Etymology

Origin of thunderstorm

First recorded in 1645–55; thunder + storm

Example Sentences

"I jumped a mile, I've never heard or seen a thunderstorm like it."

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

A thunderstorm persisted for nearly two hours, bringing heavy rain and frequent lightning.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

One does wonder how the actors fishing while swapping such insipid dialogue don’t cross their leaders and spend most of the time untangling, before flying their plane into the middle of a Rocky Mountain thunderstorm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Another bushfire near the small town of Walwa crackled with lightning as it radiated enough heat to form a localised thunderstorm.

From Barron's • Jan. 11, 2026

Ivan’s mom smelled like the river after a thunderstorm, and a handful of salt crystals, and some kind of flower that Anya couldn’t place, and an ice-cold winter night.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• deluge
• downpour
• drizzle
• flood
• hail
• rain
• rainstorm
• sleet
• storm