typhoon

noun

ty·​phoon tī-ˈfün How to pronounce typhoon (audio)
1
: a hurricane occurring especially in the region of the Philippines or the China sea
2
: whirlwind sense 2a
a typhoon of activity

Examples of typhoon in a Sentence

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.
Storm Wipha, which is now the third typhoon to hit the South China Sea so far this year, is expected to make landfall along Vietnam's northern coast early next week. Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 19 July 2025 All are coordinated and named by a single body, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which has a separate name list for typhoons. Tom Brown, Space.com, 29 June 2025 The frequency of typhoons, locally called bagyo, means Filipinos are used to responding to them. Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 June 2025 In 2024 a typhoon and flash flooding across northern Vietnam led to the deaths of at least 59 people when a bridge collapsed in the Phu Tho province. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for typhoon

Word History

Etymology

alteration (influenced by Chin — Guangdong — daaih-fùng, from daaih big + fùng wind) of earlier touffon, from Arabic ṭūfān hurricane, from Greek typhōn violent storm

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of typhoon was in 1771

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Typhoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typhoon. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

typhoon

noun
ty·​phoon tī-ˈfün How to pronounce typhoon (audio)
: a hurricane occurring in the region of the Philippines or the China Sea

More from Merriam-Webster on typhoon

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