perfect storm
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He described the situation as the "perfect storm" for young people, warning that becoming detached from the labour market can have a "scarring impact", with the lifetime loss approaching £300,000 for each young person.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
“Copper prices stretching to all-time highs is an example of a perfect storm of structural supply-side issues,” said John Caruso, senior market strategist at RJO Futures.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
It’s a perfect storm that has made recruits like Stidham highly sought after.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
He called current conditions “a perfect storm of many shocks.”
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 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
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.
