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storm

[ stawrm ]

/ stɔrm /

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See synonyms for storm on Thesaurus.com

noun

a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere, manifesting itself by winds of unusual force or direction, often accompanied by rain, snow, hail, thunder, and lightning, or flying sand or dust.

a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail, or a violent outbreak of thunder and lightning, unaccompanied by strong winds.

Also called violent storm .Meteorology. a wind of 64–72 miles per hour (29–32 meters per second).

a violent military assault on a fortified place, strong position, or the like.

a heavy or sudden volley or discharge: a storm of criticism; a storm of bullets.

a violent disturbance of affairs, as a civil, political, social, or domestic commotion.

a violent outburst or outbreak of expression: a storm of applause.

Informal. storm window.

verb (used without object)

(of the wind or weather) to blow with unusual force, or to rain, snow, hail, etc., especially with violence (usually used impersonally with it as subject): It stormed all day.

to rage or complain with violence or fury: He stormed angrily at me.

to deliver a violent attack or fire, as with artillery: The troops stormed against the garrison.

to rush to an assault or attack: The tanks stormed towards the city.

to rush angrily: to storm out of a room.

verb (used with object)

to subject to or as if to a storm: The salesman stormed them with offers.

to utter or say with angry vehemence: The strikers stormed their demands.

to attack or assault (persons, places, or things): to storm a fortress.

OTHER WORDS FOR storm

1 gale, hurricane, tempest, tornado, cyclone, squall, wind, blizzard.

See synonyms for storm on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR STORM

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about storm

storm in a teacup. teacup (def. 3).

Origin of storm

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch storm, German Sturm, Old Norse stormr; (verb) Middle English stormen, derivative of the noun (compare obsolete sturme,Middle English sturmen, Old English styrman, denominative verb from the same Germanic base as storm ); akin to stir¹

OTHER WORDS FROM storm

stormlike, adjectiveoutstorm, verb (used with object)un·stormed, adjective

Words nearby storm

storiated, storied, stork, stork parking, stork's-bill, storm, Storm and Stress, storm belt, storm boat, stormbound, storm cell

Other definitions for storm (2 of 2)

Storm

[ shtohrm ]

/ ʃtoʊrm /

noun

The·o·dore Wold·sen

[tey-aw-dawr-vawlt-suhn], /ˈteɪ ɔˌdɔr ˈvɔlt sən/, 1817–88, German poet and novelist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use storm in a sentence

Some of the most damaging storms to hit North America bear these names.
Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 17, 2020|Science News For Students
Five days after those lightning storms set California on fire, the flames reached his home in the Santa Cruz Mountains and burned it to ashes.
Suppressing fires has failed. Here’s what California needs to do instead.|James Temple|September 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Hurricane season stretches into November, which means we have at least another month and of storms.
A nearly unprecedented cluster of tropical storms are brewing in the Atlantic|Sara Chodosh|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science
Although both of these storms should turn north well short of the continental United States, there is some concern about Paulette reaching Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane by early next week.
It’s the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the tropics are bonkers|Eric Berger|September 10, 2020|Ars Technica

Meanwhile, most teachers, students, and parents are essentially waiting for the storm to pass.
Why Can’t Schools Get What the N.F.L. Has? (Ep. 431)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 10, 2020|Freakonomics
The Perfect Storm writer talks combat brotherhood and the threat posed by growing wealth inequality.
Sebastian Junger on War, Loss, and a Divided America|The Daily Beast Video|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The fear that Pascal might weather the storm has Du Vernay, Oprah Winfrey, and other Hollywood elites pulling their punches.
The Disaster Story That Hollywood Had Coming|Doug McIntyre|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Random House is also covering the legal fees of an innocent man called Barry who was caught up in the storm.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But so many years later, I still get a tense feeling in my stomach when I see a strong storm approaching.
Heed the Warnings: Why We’re on the Brink of Mass Extinction|Sean B. Carroll|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rather than storm the hospital, Tyreese says, the group should take a couple of cops hostage then set up a trade with Dawn.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale|Melissa Leon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A wise man hateth not the commandments and justices, and he shall not be dashed in pieces as a ship in a storm.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
This treacherous sort of calm, we thought, might forbode a storm, and we did not allow it to lull us into security.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
It was depressing to think of going to bed in such circumstances with the yelling of an Arctic storm for a lullaby.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The storm, however, was over; the moon and stars were shining in a clear sky, and the aurora was dancing merrily.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
While the fortress was undermining at home, they were not idle, who were preparing to storm it from abroad.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for storm

storm

/ (stɔːm) /

noun

a violent weather condition of strong winds, rain, hail, thunder, lightning, blowing sand, snow, etc
(as modifier)storm signal; storm sail
(in combination)stormproof

meteorol a violent gale of force 10 on the Beaufort scale reaching speeds of 55 to 63 mph

a strong or violent reactiona storm of protest

a direct assault on a stronghold

a heavy discharge or rain, as of bullets or missiles

short for storm window (def. 1)

storm in a teacup British a violent fuss or disturbance over a trivial matterUS equivalent: tempest in a teapot

take by storm

to capture or overrun by a violent assault
to overwhelm and enthral

verb

to attack or capture (something) suddenly and violently

(intr) to be vociferously angry

(intr) to move or rush violently or angrily

(intr; with it as subject) to rain, hail, or snow hard and be very windy, often with thunder or lightning

Derived forms of storm

stormlike, adjective

Word Origin for storm

Old English, related to Old Norse stormr, German Sturm; see stir 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for storm

storm

[ stôrm ]

A low-pressure atmospheric disturbance resulting in strong winds accompanied by rain, snow, or other precipitation and often by thunder and lightning.

A wind with a speed from 103 to 117 km (64 to 73 mi) per hour, rating 11 on the Beaufort scale.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with storm

storm

see any port in a storm; kick up a fuss (storm); ride out (the storm); take by storm; weather the storm.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.