tempest
Americannoun
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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
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a violent commotion, uproar, or disturbance
verb
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
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"The Raven"
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The Tempest
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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.
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
When he finally turned south, however, he met what may have been the fiercest tempest on Lake Superior in more than 60 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
Amid the film’s self-conscious depiction of a brewing tempest, he remains a true force of nature.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025
At the time, Guinea was in the midst of a "political tempest", she wrote.
From BBC • Jan. 6, 2025
It’s calm, too calm, yellow fluttering birds that don’t belong in this life-bucking tempest.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
