tempestuous

1 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 Synonyms bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out (or knock-down-and-drag-out), paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, violent, tumultuous, turbulent, volcanicRelated Words barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious; antagonistic, hostile; aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent; combustible, volatile; agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad; cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), destructive, ruinousNear Antonyms calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil; nonbelligerent, unaggressiveAntonyms nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful

2 marked by sudden or violent disturbance in terms of social change, the 1960s are generally considered the most tempestuous decade in recent American history Synonyms cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), stormy, convulsive, tumultuous, turbulentRelated Words fitful, spasmodic, sporadic; boisterous, clamorous, furious, noisy, riotousNear Antonyms calm, peaceful, placid, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, unshaken, untroubled

3 marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements we spent a tempestuous night stranded on the summit of the mountain Synonyms rough, rugged, stormy, wild, tumultuous, turbulentRelated Words blustering, blustery, raging, violent; brutal, harsh, severe; roily, unquiet, unsettled; bleak, inclement, nasty, raw, squallyNear Antonyms calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil; bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded

4 marked by wet and windy conditions stay indoors this weekend as the weather promises to be tempestuous Synonyms bleak, dirty, inclement, nasty, raw, rough, squally, stormy, foul, turbulentRelated Words blowy, blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept; cloudy, overcast, sunless; rainy, snowy; foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupyNear Antonyms rainless; balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, sereneAntonyms bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded