inclement
Americanadjective
-
(of the weather, the elements, etc.) severe, rough, or harsh; stormy.
-
not kind or merciful.
adjective
-
(of weather) stormy, severe, or tempestuous
-
harsh, severe, or merciless
Other Word Forms
- inclemency noun
- inclemently adverb
- inclementness noun
Etymology
Origin of inclement
1615–25; < Latin inclēment-, equivalent to in- in- 3 + clēment- (stem of clēmēns ) clement
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The spring homebuying season faces a sluggish start due to higher mortgage rates, inclement weather, and 6.7% fewer new listings.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Placer County Sheriff Woo has urged the public to avoid the Sierras, mountain travel and the backcountry during inclement weather over the next few days so that officials can focus on recovering the bodies.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Drone operators have faced regulatory obstacles, community concerns about noise, safety and privacy, and limitations to flying in inclement weather.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
“There were times during those days that we did not make it to school due to inclement weather or some other untoward event,” she wrote in a biographical post on the McAdoo Center website.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2025
Nonetheless, from Ishmael’s perspective this inclement weather should not be allowed to overshadow the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, which was an affair of a different sort entirely and of a greater magnitude.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
