tempestuous

tempestuous
adjective
tem·;pes·;tu·;ous tem-;pes-ch;-w;s  -;pesh-
Synonyms of tempestuous
: of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy
tempestuous weather
a tempestuous relationship
tempestuously adverb
tempestuousness noun


Did you know?
A deluge of words in English do double duty in describing both the weather and the various emotions, relationships, and travails of humankind. You might be glad to know (or be) someone with a sunny disposition, for example, or find yourself bored to tears by a windy speech. Since its 15th century English debut, tempestuous has also blown in two directions, used in the context of literal storms (as in “tempestuous seas”) and for personalities, arguments, etc., that are figuratively “stormy,” being characterized by strong emotions. Like its older sibling in English, the noun tempest (“a violent storm,” “uproar”), tempestuous hails via Anglo-French from the Latin word tempest;s, which has multiple meanings including “stretch of time,” “season,” and “stormy weather.”

Synonyms
violent
turbulent
ferocious
fierce
furious
rough
volcanic
rabid
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. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Buckingham and Nicks have had a tempestuous relationship since the 1970s, beginning with their Rumours-era break-up, continuing through their 1980s and ;90s exits from Fleetwood Mac to pursue solo careers, and ramping up again with the band's reunion for 1997's The Dance.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 July 2025
McGovern suggests in the play that being a movie star, a tempestuous one at that, took its toll on Gardner, certainly in her personal life.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 22 July 2025
The tempestuous situation poses a myriad of thorny questions for which there are no easy answers considering no president ever has tried to unseat a Fed chair.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 July 2025
The mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), tries to be patient with this officer of the law, but the two men have a tempestuous history.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2025

Word History
Etymology
Middle English tempestuous, Latinization of tempestous, borrowed from Anglo-French, re-formation of Late Latin tempestu;sus, from tempestu-, probably extracted from Latin tempest;t-, tempest;s, archaic variant of tempest;t-, tempest;s "stretch of time, season, weather, tempest entry 1" + -;sus -ous

First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tempestuous was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century