thunderstorm

American  

[thuhn-der-stawrm] / ˈθʌn dərˌstɔrm /

noun

thunderstorms plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thunderstorms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thunderstorm

First recorded in 1645–55; thunder + storm

Example Sentences

Thunderstorm losses were around $56 billion, and $42 billion of it was insured—which is above the 10-year average of $39 billion in overall losses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

Thunderstorm clouds contain a mix of ice crystals and larger chunks of ice.

From Science Daily • Nov. 24, 2025

Multiple Tornado Warnings on the Central Coast, flooding in the Bay Area, the first Severe Thunderstorm Watch in the Los Angeles region in 17 years, and heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025

Thunderstorm activity on Tuesday afternoon could bring 1 to 2 more inches of rain per hour to the area, where soil conditions are already saturated, the NWS said, raising the risk of more flash flooding.

From Reuters • Jul. 18, 2023

Thunderstorm, thought Alyce, as she hurried to fasten the wooden shutters over the windows before the skies opened.

From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman

Related Words

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