tropical storm

American

noun

Meteorology.

a tropical cyclone of less than hurricane force.

tropical storm Scientific

A tropical cyclone having sustained surface winds between 39 and 73 mi (63 and 118 km) per hour.
See Note at cyclone

Etymology

Origin of tropical storm

First recorded in 1940–45

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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.

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

But the flooding that hit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia was also exacerbated by a rare tropical storm that dumped heavy rain on Sumatra island in particular.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

The storm grew from a tropical storm to a major Category 4 hurricane in a day, fuelled by warmer than average sea temperatures.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

Earlier, I realize, she was just some kind of tropical storm.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023