tempest

1 of 2

noun

tem·​pest ˈtem-pəst 

1

: a violent storm

2

: tumult, uproar

tempest

2 of 2

verb

tempested; tempesting; tempests

transitive verb

: to raise a tempest in or around

Synonyms

Noun

• squall
• storm

Examples of tempest in a Sentence

Noun

the sudden summertime tempest drove us off the golf course and into the clubhouse

the town council handled the tempest over cuts to the school budget as well as could be expected

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The tempest reached a crescendo with little drama other than splashing water. —David Sharp and Jennifer McDermott, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2024

The fake blood, the cars on rails, the Potemkin villages, not to mention the computer graphics, the herds and armies and tempests that exist only in code. —Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tempeste, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *tempesta, replacing Latin tempestāt-, tempestās "stretch of time, period, season, weather, stormy weather," from tempes-, base of tempor-, tempus (alternative stem temper-) "time, period of time, season" + -tāt-, -tās, noun suffix — more at tempo

Note: The proto-Romance form *tempesta is probably a nominal derivative from the feminine of an adjective tempestus, cited by the Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus as an old variant of tempestīvus "in season, occurring at the proper time."

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tempest

• a tempest in a teapot
• tempest in a teapot

Kids Definition

tempest

noun

tem·​pest

ˈtem-pəst

1

: a violent wind

especially : one accompanied by rain, hail, or snow

2

: a violent commotion : uproar