thunderstorm

[ thuhn-der-stawrm ]

noun

1. a transient storm of lightning and thunder, usually with rain and gusty winds, sometimes with hail or snow, produced by cumulonimbus clouds.

thunderstorm

/ ˈθʌndəˌstɔːm /

noun

1. a storm caused by strong rising air currents and characterized by thunder and lightning and usually heavy rain or hail

thunderstorm

/ thŭn′dər-stôrm′ /

1. A storm of heavy rain accompanied by lightning, thunder, wind, and sometimes hail. Thunderstorms occur when moist air near the ground becomes heated, especially in the summer, and rises, forming cumulonimbus clouds that produce precipitation. Electrical charges accumulate at the bases of the clouds until lightning is discharged. Air in the path of the lightning expands as a result of being heated, causing thunder. Thunderstorms can also be caused by temperature changes triggered by volcanic eruptions and forest fires, and they occur with much greater frequency at the equatorial regions than in polar regions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thunderstorm¹

First recorded in 1645–55; thunder + storm

Example Sentences

We’d seen her shivering in a muddy construction site, in the middle of a thunderstorm, scared stupid.

From Washington Post

Scientists have known for decades that thunderstorms are often stronger where there are high concentrations of aerosols—airborne particles too small to see with the naked eye.

From MIT Technology Review

Thursday’s forecast calls for thunderstorms and heavy rain, with more consistent precipitation in the morning and scattered storms in the afternoon.

From Washington Post

You’re likely to encounter a thunderstorm at least once during your outdoor adventuring.

From Outside Online

According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, a creek that’s only six inches deep in the mountains can swell to a ten-foot-deep raging river in less than an hour if a thunderstorm lingers over an area for an extended period of time.

From Outside Online

Strong gusts from a passing thunderstorm had stripped nearly all the flowers from their branches.

From The Daily Beast

It was a mashup of two Spanish words: tronada, which means thunderstorm, and tornar, to turn, to twist, to return.

From The Daily Beast

That afternoon, a thunderstorm moved into Manhattan right before I left the salon, umbrella-less.

From The Daily Beast

Average thunderstorm losses have increased five-fold since 1980.

From The Daily Beast

We know that Flight 447 encountered heavy turbulence associated with a thunderstorm before losing signal.

From The Daily Beast

A fearsome thunderstorm or howling tornado of dust might reveal her fickleness of mood at any moment.

From Project Gutenberg

During that night it crossed the Danube, under cover of the terrific thunderstorm which hid the French advance from the Austrians.

From Project Gutenberg

"I only hope we won't have a thunderstorm," said Jess to herself, as she shut her tired eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

When we had gone another mile a spattering of "overs" began to fall around like the first heavy drops of a thunderstorm.

From Project Gutenberg

After the last big thunderstorm he came up to the door where I was sitting and was evidently very much put out about something.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deluge
• downpour
• drizzle
• flood
• hail
• rain
• rainstorm
• sleet
• storm