perfect storm

American  

noun

1. Meteorology. a very intense and powerful storm arising from the convergence of an unusual set of weather patterns.

   A dying Hurricane Grace delivered the immeasurable tropical energy needed to create the perfect storm.

2. a detrimental or calamitous situation or event arising from the powerful combined effect of a unique set of circumstances.

   a perfect storm battering corporate pension plans.

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perfect storm British  

noun

1. a combination of events which are not individually dangerous, but occurring together produce a disastrous outcome

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Etymology

Origin of perfect storm

First recorded in 1935–40 in meteorological sense; in 1997 for current sense, from The Perfect Storm, a nonfiction book by Sebastian Junger, U.S. journalist and author (born 1962)

Example Sentences

Miguel Mateos Muñoz, Unicef's spokesperson in Bangladesh, puts it down to a "perfect storm" of several factors.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

This policy change, along with rising insurance premiums, aging buildings and inflated construction costs, has created a perfect storm that’s pushing condo boards to hike these ancillary fees.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

But that sympathy has not put an end to questions surrounding the future of the royal family, which for months has been in the middle of a perfect storm.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

“It’s just the perfect storm for exorbitant retail enthusiasm and demand,” said Mike Treacy, head market analyst and vice president of risk at Apex Fintech Solutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

The answer, as historians tell us, has to do with a perfect storm of place, time, personality, and luck: but it also has to do with his brilliance as an orator.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith