Meaning

Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation..

Definitions by Sense

1. Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
2. A heavy expulsion or fall of things (as blows, objects which are thrown, etc.).
3. A violent agitation of human society; a domestic, civil, or political commotion.
4. A violent commotion or outbreak of sounds, speech, thoughts, etc.; also, an outpouring of emotion.
5. Chiefly with a qualifying word: a violent attack of diease, pain, physiological reactions, symptoms, etc.; a paroxysm.
6. (Canada, US, chiefly in the plural) Ellipsis of storm window (“a second window (originally detachable) attached on the exterior side of a window in climates with harsh winters, to add an insulating layer of still air between the outside and inside”).
7. (impersonal, chiefly US) Preceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
8. To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently.

Example Sentences

Near-synonyms: cyclone (broad sense), tempest

The boat was torn to pieces in the storm, and nobody survived.

Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt.

But ſeeing that there the murdring Enemie, / Peſle-meſle, purſued them like a ſtorme of hayle, / They gan retyre vvhere Iuba vvas encampt; […]

[W]e heare this fearefull tempeſt ſing, / Yet ſeeke no ſhelter to auoid the ſtorme: / We ſee the vvind ſit ſore vpon our ſailes.

And vvhat at firſt vvas call'd a guſt, the ſame / Hath novv a ſtormes, anon a tempeſts name.

[W]hy vvhat's the matter? / That you haue ſuch a Februarie face, / So full of froſt, of ſtorme, and clovvdineſſe.

Here's neither buſh, nor ſhrub to beare off any vveather at all: and another Storme brevving, I heare it ſing ith' vvinde: yond ſame blacke cloud, yond huge one, lookes like a foule bumbard that vvould ſhed his licquor: […]

Word Forms

• storms
• storming
• stormed
• no-table-tags
• glossary
• storm
• stormest
• stormedst
• stormeth
• -

Synonyms for storm

Related Words

When Should You Use Storm?

Use storm when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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