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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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
By turns giddy, anxious, and despairing, these poems have endeared him to generations of ordinary readers who find in the tempestuous and ultimately brokenhearted poet a strikingly modern and profoundly accessible figure.
—
Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Though Weston’s tempestuous drunkenness is responsible for the most egregious disorder, disarray is the usual state of affairs in the Tate household.
—Maya Phillips, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
This time around, Mercury retrograde occurs in the signs of tempestuous Aries and tender Pisces.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
The role of Dario was followed by a bit role in the 2013 romance drama Behind the Candelabra alongside Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, about the tempestuous romance between pianist Liberace and his much younger lover.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Though Weston’s tempestuous drunkenness is responsible for the most egregious disorder, disarray is the usual state of affairs in the Tate household.
—Maya Phillips, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
This time around, Mercury retrograde occurs in the signs of tempestuous Aries and tender Pisces.
—Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
The role of Dario was followed by a bit role in the 2013 romance drama Behind the Candelabra alongside Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, about the tempestuous romance between pianist Liberace and his much younger lover.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempestuous
Adjective
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The strikes were marked by bloodshed as clashes between protesters and police grew violent.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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However, the Salvadoran national was living in the U.S. illegally and is suspected of being a member of the notoriously violent gang MS-13.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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That might be the ultimate takeaway for leaders navigating turbulent times.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Which brings me to another important lesson from turbulent times: market timing (still) does not work.—
Jill Schlesinger,
Mercury News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Oz has had 30 (homers) and 100 (RBIs) before and can have some rough patches and still has a way of coming out of it.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman had a rough outing against the New York Yankees on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But this team was special, with a watertight defence combined with a ferocious forward line of Ronaldo (his best goalscoring season for United), Rooney and Tevez.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
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This ferocious, steep-banked corner possesses a wild 24% gradient, a nod to Spain’s bullfighting heritage.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Melania Trump has courted controversy, garnered attention for her fashion Trump's fashion choices are the subject of fierce controversy and constant attention.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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Orlando City and Atlanta United will meet on Saturday in a fierce rivalry MLS matchup, a game soccer fans in the U.S. won't want to miss.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s second administration has opened with a furious blitz of conservative policy focused around deportations, deep cuts to federal agencies and tariffs.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The shipyard has been hiring at a furious pace – 5,300 in 2023, 4,100 in 2024, and another 3,000 projected this year – to meet the Navy’s production schedule.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Remember, the ground is its most fertile and luscious right after a volcanic eruption.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
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During Juno's flyby of Io on Dec. 27, 2024, the spacecraft spotted what has turned out to be the most energetic volcanic eruption ever recorded on Io.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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None of this — the Netflix exposé painting her childhood as hellish and her adolescence as haunted by the specter of a controlling, manipulative mother; the rabid backlash to it and endless coverage of it — is pushing Piper off social media.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2025
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Concerning Cujo, the rabid St. Bernard who never meant anyone any harm, his legacy lives on.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tempestuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempestuous. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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