tempestuous

adjective

tem·​pes·​tu·​ous tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs 

-ˈpesh-

: of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy

tempestuous weather

a tempestuous relationship

tempestuously adverb

tempestuousness noun

Did you know?

A deluge of words in English do double duty in describing both the weather and the various emotions, relationships, and travails of humankind. You might be glad to know (or be) someone with a sunny disposition, for example, or find yourself bored to tears by a windy speech. Since its 15th century English debut, tempestuous has also blown in two directions, used in the context of literal storms (as in “tempestuous seas”) and for personalities, arguments, etc., that are figuratively “stormy,” being characterized by strong emotions. Like its older sibling in English, the noun tempest (“a violent storm,” “uproar”), tempestuous hails via Anglo-French from the Latin word tempestās, which has multiple meanings including “stretch of time,” “season,” and “stormy weather.”

Synonyms

• violent
• turbulent
• ferocious
• fierce
• furious
• rough
• volcanic
• rabid

Examples of tempestuous in a Sentence

order was restored to the court after the judge put a stop to the defendant's tempestuous outburst

in terms of social change, the 1960s are generally considered the most tempestuous decade in recent American history

Recent Examples on the Web

Buckingham and Nicks have had a tempestuous relationship since the 1970s, beginning with their Rumours-era break-up, continuing through their 1980s and ʼ90s exits from Fleetwood Mac to pursue solo careers, and ramping up again with the band's reunion for 1997's The Dance. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2025

McGovern suggests in the play that being a movie star, a tempestuous one at that, took its toll on Gardner, certainly in her personal life. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025

The tempestuous situation poses a myriad of thorny questions for which there are no easy answers considering no president ever has tried to unseat a Fed chair. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 July 2025

The mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), tries to be patient with this officer of the law, but the two men have a tempestuous history. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tempestuous, Latinization of tempestous, borrowed from Anglo-French, re-formation of Late Latin tempestuōsus, from tempestu-, probably extracted from Latin tempestūt-, tempestūs, archaic variant of tempestāt-, tempestās "stretch of time, season, weather, tempest entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tempestuous

• incestuous

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

tempestuous

adjective

tem·​pes·​tu·​ous tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs 

-ˈpesh-

: violent sense 1, stormy

a tempestuous sea

a tempestuous relationship

tempestuously adverb

tempestuousness noun