perfect storm

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.

perfect storm

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of perfect storm¹

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

For the nation’s 200-plus food banks, it’s been described as a perfect storm: federal cuts colliding with a government shutdown, inflation and a cost-of-living crisis that hasn’t let up.

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It all adds up to a perfect storm for the metal in everything from soda cans to foil.

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In its report, Fifpro said players are caught in a "perfect storm of how not to treat a human".

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José Sousa-Santos, head of the Pacific Regional Security Hub at New Zealand's University of Canterbury, says "a perfect storm is brewing".

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It's a perfect storm of events that mean nine games into the season, the Reds have only won once.

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