tropical storm
Americannoun
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A tropical cyclone having sustained surface winds between 39 and 73 mi (63 and 118 km) per hour.
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See Note at cyclone
Etymology
Origin of tropical storm
First recorded in 1940–45
Compare meaning
How does tropical-storm compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
A severe tropical storm moved towards Tokyo on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of floods after torrential rain battered swathes of the country and prompted calls to evacuate for hundreds of thousands of people.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
In August 1977, humidity and heat from a tropical storm was blamed for killing 725 dairy cows in Chino.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
A New York Times article in October highlighted hurricanes “turning away from the East Coast,” noting 12 named storms so far but only one minor tropical storm brushing the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
The same weather system that passed through Indonesia, now downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression, made landfall early on Friday morning, dumping more rain on the already-sodden region.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
It says that the tropical storm is moving faster than anyone has really expected, and that it’s quickly escalating.
From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender
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.
