tempest
Americannoun
-
tempests
plural
-
a violent windstorm, especially one with rain, hail, or snow.
-
a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumult.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
-
literary a violent wind or storm
-
a violent commotion, uproar, or disturbance
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tempest
1200–50; Middle English tempeste < Old French < Vulgar Latin *tempesta, for Latin tempestās season, weather, storm, equivalent to tempes- (variant stem of tempus time) + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
Shakespeare's The Tempest begins with one — a tempest, or a violent and windy storm. The meaning of tempest has expanded over time to include the idea of anger or fighting. A "tempest in a tea pot" means a passionate fight over something that is in fact fairly trivial. For example, a loud argument about whether to use cloth or paper napkins at Thanksgiving could be considered a "tempest in a tea pot" to some.
Vocabulary lists containing tempest
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Raven"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Tempest
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Haiti's Civil Protection Agency reported two people died and another was injured Thursday when the tempest triggered a landslide in the west of the island nation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
For those not chronically online, however, this past week’s tempest over Wikipedia can be jolting—especially given the site’s objective to remain trustworthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2025
So I hope that’s not just a ripple; I hope it’s the butterfly wings that start the tempest, leading more and more people to behave like socially conscious consumers.
From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2025
When Ruben Amorim predicted a "storm would come" surely even he did not anticipate the scale of the tempest through December.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
At the same time, another tempest was brewing in the nearby all-black public housing project McDougald Terrace.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Now, scientists have discovered that these massive tempests can also generate lightning far more powerful than anything typically seen on Earth.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026
Over the years, ships lost in tempests have piled up on the seabed, themselves becoming hazards to vessels that drag nets around.
From National Geographic ● Dec. 15, 2023
Once the skies clear and the floodwaters finally recede, emergency managers expect this spate of tempests to rank among the deadliest natural disasters in state history.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 14, 2023
None of those tempests did any serious damage to Ridley-Thomas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2021
I hated these emotional outbursts, these tempests of passion, for they always left me tense and weak.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
