Word of the Day

: March 10, 2022

tempestuous

adjective tem-PESS-chuh-wus

What It Means

Tempestuous means "of, relating to, or resembling a tempest" (which is a violent storm). Its synonyms are turbulent or stormy.

// Because the player's relationship with his manager had grown more tempestuous over the course of the season, the decision to trade him benefited everyone.

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tempestuous in Context

"Reigning from c. 1479 until 1458 b.c., Hatshepsut was one of very few female pharaohs in ancient Egypt. Known for her ... tempestuous rise to power…." — Lily Landau, Cracked, 22 Feb. 2022

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.