superstorm

noun

su·​per·​storm ˈsü-pər-ˌstȯrm 

: a very large and powerful storm

Superstorm Sandy was no freak, say experts, but rather a hint of a coming era when millions of Americans will struggle to survive killer weather. They're telling us we shouldn't be surprised that this 900-mile-wide monster marched up the East Coast this week paralyzing cities and claiming scores of lives.

—Tim Lister

Examples of superstorm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is a rapidly growing body of scientific literature showing clear connections between climate change and damaging extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Sandy-like superstorms and unprecedented droughts like the one that recently struck California. —Michael E. Mann, Foreign Affairs, 21 Apr. 2017

Another formation mechanism could be a superstorm, an upwelling of warmer material from Jupiter’s depths that punches out to the cloud tops. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 12 July 2024

Also, no such superstorms have ever been seen forming on Jupiter at that latitude, strengthening the conclusion that something else must be responsible for the GRS. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 12 July 2024

But Caribbean islands also have one of the world’s best defense systems against superstorms like Beryl. —Benji Jones, Vox, 2 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above