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Synonyms

thunderstorm

American  
[thuhn-der-stawrm] / ˈθʌn dərˌstɔrm /

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 British  
/ ˈθʌndəˌstɔːm /

noun

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

"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
thunderstorm Scientific  
/ 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.

Etymology

Origin of thunderstorm

First recorded in 1645–55; thunder + storm

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.

Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning: This will be the first burst of heavy rainfall with a chance of thunderstorms, though flooding shouldn’t be an immediate concern.

From Los Angeles Times

The roof needed to be replaced to withstand heavy snow, hard rain and the golf-ball-sized hail of prairie thunderstorms.

From Salon

“Strong to severe thunderstorms out ahead of this storm from Texas to Indiana will create major travel headaches for anyone flying out on Sunday.”

From Barron's

But fans had to scramble last week after a sudden thunderstorm made Tyler, the Creator’s flagship festival at Dodger Stadium soggy and unnavigable.

From Los Angeles Times

Toilets ran out of water, torrential thunderstorms flooded the venue, and delegates struggled to cope in hot, humid rooms.

From BBC

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.