tempest

1 of 2

noun

tem·​pest ˈtem-pəst How to pronounce tempest (audio)
1
: a violent storm
2

tempest

2 of 2

verb

tempested; tempesting; tempests

transitive verb

: to raise a tempest in or around

Examples of tempest in a Sentence

Noun the sudden summertime tempest drove us off the golf course and into the clubhouse the town council handled the tempest over cuts to the school budget as well as could be expected
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Scientists have found that climate change is making furious tempests like Freddy more common. Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023 And Barrino’s next decade had its share of tempests. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023 For this Lear, there was no raging against a tempest on a heath. Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 25 May 2023 Social media tempests are largely for the teapot-dwellers. Hazlitt, 1 Nov. 2023 With Trump indicted, officials prepare for a tempest: His court appearance Trump case presents extraordinary test for Merrick Garland Trump can still run for president in 2024 after being indicted twice Who is Jack Smith? Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 9 June 2023 Musk’s ownership of Twitter has clearly created a tempest, while giving him control over its powerful megaphone at a perilous time both in US politics and around the world. Brian Lowry, CNN, 10 Oct. 2023 But there is no chart to help map a course through the tempest of war. Marc Santora Laetitia Vancon, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2023 Well, leave it to the masters of modern science to explain the living daylights out that day’s supernatural performance, identifying every last detail of the action in my gray matter down to the exact neural networks firing throughout my tempest. Jonathan Rowe, Spin, 19 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tempest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tempeste, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *tempesta, replacing Latin tempestāt-, tempestās "stretch of time, period, season, weather, stormy weather," from tempes-, base of tempor-, tempus (alternative stem temper-) "time, period of time, season" + -tāt-, -tās, noun suffix — more at tempo

Note: The proto-Romance form *tempesta is probably a nominal derivative from the feminine of an adjective tempestus, cited by the Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus as an old variant of tempestīvus "in season, occurring at the proper time."

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tempest was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near tempest

Cite this Entry

“Tempest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempest. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tempest

noun
tem·​pest
ˈtem-pəst
1
: a violent wind
especially : one accompanied by rain, hail, or snow
2
: a violent commotion : uproar

More from Merriam-Webster on tempest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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