1
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
order was restored to the court after the judge put a stop to the defendant's tempestuous outburst
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
in terms of social change, the 1960s are generally considered the most tempestuous decade in recent American history
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3
as in rough
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
we spent a tempestuous night stranded on the summit of the mountain
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4
as in bleak
marked by wet and windy conditions
stay indoors this weekend as the weather promises to be tempestuous
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempestuous
Young priest Father Jud (Josh O'Connor) is accused of murdering his tempestuous boss (Josh Brolin), and Blanc arrives to find whodunit in a humorous and sharp exploration of faith, religion and cult of personality.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Astove is also surrounded by the tempestuous waters of the western Indian Ocean—the former Sea of Zanj, feared by medieval Arab explorers—that, whipped up by the trade winds, roll and roar in the summer.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Dec. 2025
Their life wasn’t operatic; their love wasn’t tempestuous.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
Scorsese and Liza Minnelli were one tempestuous couple.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Astove is also surrounded by the tempestuous waters of the western Indian Ocean—the former Sea of Zanj, feared by medieval Arab explorers—that, whipped up by the trade winds, roll and roar in the summer.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Dec. 2025
Their life wasn’t operatic; their love wasn’t tempestuous.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
Scorsese and Liza Minnelli were one tempestuous couple.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempestuous
Adjective
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Erfan Soltani, 26, was arrested last month as demonstrations roiled the country, sparking a violent crackdown by authorities.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
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Unprecedented spending has also done little to address the country’s worst in the nation homeless problem, an infrastructure that is graded lower than the national average, and a violent crime rate that is 35% higher than the national average.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hadder’s own journey from that Tuscaloosa parking lot was turbulent.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The Giants are navigating a turbulent time, starting with co-owner Steve Tisch’s prominent appearance in the Epstein Files.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Known as StellFoundry, the new project focuses on replacing lengthy calculations in the design process with types of digital models, or surrogates, that provide rough calculation estimates.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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The family, from the state capital Perth, were using kayaks and paddleboards on Friday morning when rough ocean and wind conditions started dragging them out.—
Rod McGuirk,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The press was ferocious and organised, with the number of box entries and chances created being higher than any league performance this season.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Those funds are caught in a fierce battle over Democratic proposals, now backed by some Republicans, to impose limits on the behavior of the ICE agents whose aggressive tactics in Minneapolis have left protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti dead.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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Game director Cary Trzcinski made sure emotions did not boil over and lead to a melee, sticking his thick body and fierce game face into one brewing moment in the second half.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the Hornets held off a furious San Antonio comeback at the end.—
Scott Fowler The Charlotte Observer,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
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But the Hornets held off a furious San Antonio comeback at the end.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Since Saba is a volcanic island that rises steeply straight out of the sea, most species simply never made it there.—
James Barrett,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
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Trump seethes with hatred and erupts in volcanic fury to denounce, demonize, disparage and threaten anyone who refuses to support his increasingly irrational and harmful proposals and actions.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempestuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempestuous. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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