Tempest
noun /ˈtɛmpɪst/ — A violent, dramatic storm.
Definition
A violent windstorm, typically with rain, thunder, or hail — and by extension, any situation of great turbulence, conflict, or emotional intensity. Shakespeare's final play borrowed the word and made it permanent.
Beyond the definition
Tempest is storm at its most dramatic. Not the mild English drizzle — tempest is the kind of weather that rearranges landscapes and ends ships. It is also the vocabulary of inner life: a person can be in a tempest, can survive one, can be the eye of one.
Origin & history
Old French 'tempeste,' from Latin 'tempestas' — season, storm, from 'tempus' (time). The connection: at a time when seasons determined everything, bad weather was simply 'the time.'
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The tempest came in from the west with almost no warning.
Shakespeare set the whole play in a tempest — chaos made into theatre.
She'd survived an internal tempest so complete that the aftermath felt like a different country.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Tempest” when the meaning fits your context: A violent windstorm, typically with rain, thunder, or hail — and by extension, any situation of great turbulence, conflict, or emotional intensity. Shakespeare's final play borrowed the word and made it permanent.
Synonyms
storm, gale, squall, maelstrom, turbulence
Antonyms
calm, stillness, serenity
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Tempest" mean?
Tempest is noun meaning: A violent, dramatic storm.. A violent windstorm, typically with rain, thunder, or hail — and by extension, any situation of great turbulence, conflict, or emotional intensity. Shakespeare's final play borrowed the word and made it permanent.
Where does the word "Tempest" come from?
Old French 'tempeste,' from Latin 'tempestas' — season, storm, from 'tempus' (time). The connection: at a time when seasons determined everything, bad weather was simply 'the time.'