tempestuous
adjective
tem·pes·tu·ous
tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs 
-ˈpesh-
tempestuously
adverb
tempestuousness
noun
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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
The decision to withhold intelligence and military aid came on the heels of a tempestuous White House visit last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
—
Associated Press, TIME, 8 Mar. 2025
And yet what should have been the end of a tempestuous season wasn’t.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Fauset’s remarkable career and tempestuous relationship with civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois are explored in Victoria Christopher Murray’s dynamic tale.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
However, rescue boats couldn’t get near the Valencia in the tempestuous sea, and the steep cliffs along shore made an approach from land equally impossible.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
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Associated Press, TIME, 8 Mar. 2025
And yet what should have been the end of a tempestuous season wasn’t.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Fauset’s remarkable career and tempestuous relationship with civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois are explored in Victoria Christopher Murray’s dynamic tale.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
However, rescue boats couldn’t get near the Valencia in the tempestuous sea, and the steep cliffs along shore made an approach from land equally impossible.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Cite this Entry
“Tempestuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempestuous. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tempestuous
adjective
tem·pes·tu·ous
tem-ˈpes-chə-wəs
-ˈpesh-
: violent sense 1, stormy
a tempestuous sea
a tempestuous relationship
tempestuously
adverb
tempestuousness
noun
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