tempestuous

adjective

tem·​pes·​tu·​ous tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs How to pronounce tempestuous (audio)
-ˈpesh-
: of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy
tempestuous weather
a tempestuous relationship
tempestuously adverb
tempestuousness noun

Did you know?

Time is sometimes marked in seasons, and seasons are associated with the weather. This explains how tempestās—a Latin word for "time," "season," and "weather"—gave rise to tempestuous, an English adjective for things turbulent and stormy.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The new coach’s tempestuous history does create even more emphasis on the next major hire Maryland must make, a replacement for athletic director Damon Evans. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for tempestuous

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tempestuous was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Tempestuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempestuous. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tempestuous

adjective
tem·​pes·​tu·​ous tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs How to pronounce tempestuous (audio)
-ˈpesh-
: violent sense 1, stormy
a tempestuous sea
a tempestuous relationship
tempestuously adverb
tempestuousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tempestuous

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