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.
(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.
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.
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 reaction
a storm of protest
a direct assault on a stronghold
a heavy discharge or rain, as of bullets or missiles
short for storm window
US equivalent: tempest in a teapot. a violent fuss or disturbance over a trivial matter
to capture or overrun by a violent assault
to overwhelm and enthral
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
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.
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 stir 1
A storm is what happens when the earth's atmosphere is disturbed. If the weather report says that a storm is on the way, you might want to carry an umbrella — or just stay at home and watch movies. Storms range from the windstorm that blows branches off your tree to the snowstorm that buries your neighborhood under two feet of the white stuff. It's a verb too: "It began to storm outside, and the rain beat down on the windows." Figuratively, you might even storm angrily: "My sister was so mad that she stormed around her room, kicking things." Something controversial can also cause a figurative storm, or uproar.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Tuesday, under clear skies, roofs ripped apart by the storm had already been covered with blue and green plastic tarpaulins, an AFP journalist saw.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
The more I looked into the cult of Cane’s, the more I understood how the country’s most obsessed-over digit-shaped delicacy took America by storm, slowly and then all at once.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
This tournament inadvertently became part of a perfect storm which the triple killer's lawyers are now arguing "fatally undermined" the fairness of her trial.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
I’m very assured that the warped mind of Katie Dippold will helm us into a giddy storm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
This is why Mom used to add “bike helmet” to the storm list when she was little—a mattress over the bathtub only protects so far from blunt force trauma.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The UK is set to hand over blueprints for its British-French designed Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine – following a similar move from France – allowing Ukraine to produce the weapon domestically.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Scalp and the Storm Shadow, have been some of the most effective weapons provided to Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The government has agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile - allowing Ukraine to produce the weapon domestically.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The potential for the Mount Storm facility is nonetheless rather limited: it can produce about four tons of rare earth oxides per year, and about 45 percent of that is "heavy" rare earths, Lin said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
We didn’t make fifty yards before Storm went absolutely insane.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
They can provide storms with extra moisture and energy, and can intensify heatwaves on land in some coastal regions by reducing the cooling effect of sea breezes.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
This leads to more sustained droughts in some parts of the planet, and more ferocious storms in others.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The 1982-83 winter season, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, was historically destructive for California’s coast, with storms wrecking the Santa Monica and Seal Beach piers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Insurance costs have gone up significantly as severe storms, hail and occasional tornadoes plow through the area, Helbig noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Ms. Lewis storms off, mumbling the whole way down the steps.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
When Abe Saperstein, the Globetrotters’ founder, stormed the Reds locker room in a huff, Klotz warned him, “If you let your guard down, we’ll get you again.”
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman, who stormed out of his Netflix investment a few years ago, has rekindled that old flame.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Toppled in August 2024 by a student-led uprising that ended her 15-year, iron-fisted rule, Hasina fled by helicopter to India as crowds stormed her palace.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
After leading 8-4 again on Thursday, Van Duijvenbode dropped two consecutive legs but then stormed into a 14-6 lead by winning the next six without reply.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
I stormed out then, went to the barn, and led Marlene down to the stream for a drink.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Another potential scenario, Shpaizman said, is one resembling the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021, as they tried to stop certification of his election defeat.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
On Saturday, 24 hours after storming to victory on the Alpe d’Huez, Pogacar held such a comfortable advantage that he transformed from team leader into domestique for a day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets in June 2024 against economic hardship and corruption, eventually storming parliament to force the cancellation of new taxes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
He picked up exactly where he had left off in Paris against the Swiss, storming into a two-set lead.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Cabot said, storming back out and slamming the door.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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.
