tempestuous

adjective

tem·pes·tu·ous | \ tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs

, -ˈpesh-\

Definition of tempestuous

: of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy tempestuous weather a tempestuous relationship

Other Words from tempestuous Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about tempestuous

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Did You Know?

Time is sometimes marked in seasons, and seasons are associated with the weather. This explains how "tempus," the Latin word for "time" could have given rise to an English adjective for things turbulent and stormy. "Tempus" is the root behind Old Latin tempestus, meaning "season," and Late Latin tempestuosus, the direct ancestor of "tempestuous." As you might expect, "tempus" is also the root of the noun "tempest"; it probably played a role in the history of "temper" as well, but that connection isn't definite.

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

Anna’s is a quieter role, with fewer dramatic speeches but with a tempestuous subtext. — Jason Zinoman, Vogue, "In Burn This, Adam Driver and Keri Russell Find Love in a Hopeless Place," 15 Apr. 2019 The two had as tempestuous a relationship as any in show business, which the series explores, with (hopefully) some fabulous dance sequences. — Vogue, "9 Things to Watch in April on Netflix, HBO and More," 29 Mar. 2019 Despite the pair sharing an agent - Jorge Mendes - Mourinho and Ronaldo had a tempestuous relationship during their three-year spell together at Los Blancos. — SI.com, "Jose Mourinho Rules Out Cristiano Ronaldo Return to Man Utd & Calls Move 'Prohibited'," 18 May 2018 Both men are tempestuous leaders, who are loath to concede a political fight. — Azam Ahmed And Paulina Villegas, BostonGlobe.com, "Leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be Mexico’s next president," 2 July 2018 Both men are tempestuous leaders, who are loath to concede a political fight. — New York Times, "López Obrador, an Atypical Leftist, Wins Mexico Presidency in Landslide," 2 July 2018 Mills billed herself as a major departure from the tempestuous LePage, who has led efforts to block Medicaid expansion in the state even after voters approved the move in a ballot initiative. — Li Zhou, Vox, "Janet Mills becomes Maine’s first woman governor," 7 Nov. 2018 Of the Europeans, Churchill’s most consequential and tempestuous relationship was with a man who initially offered only himself: Charles de Gaulle, the sole French official to resist his government’s capitulation to Germany. — Lynne Olson, WSJ, "Five Best: Lynne Olson on Britain’s European Allies," 6 Sep. 2018 However, teenage Astrid was very impressionable, impetuous, and tempestuous. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Crazy Rich Asians’ mid-credits scene is brief, but very revealing," 18 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tempestuous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for tempestuous

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