storm

Meaning

Noun

1. Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
2. (broadly) Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
3. (broadly) Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
4. (Canada, Scotland, US, broadly, dated) Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
5. Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
6. (figuratively) A heavy expulsion or fall of things (as blows, objects which are thrown, etc.).
7. (figuratively) A violent agitation of human society; a domestic, civil, or political commotion.
8. (figuratively) A violent commotion or outbreak of sounds, speech, thoughts, etc.; also, an outpouring of emotion.
9. (figuratively) Chiefly with a qualifying word: a violent attack of diease, pain, physiological reactions, symptoms, etc.; a paroxysm.
10. (Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, in-plural) Ellipsis of storm window (“a second window (originally detachable) attached on the exterior side of a window in climates with harsh winters, to add an insulating layer of still air between the outside and inside”).

Verb

1. (US, impersonal) Preceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
2. (transitive) To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently.
3. (figuratively, transitive) To disturb or trouble (someone).
4. (figuratively, transitive) To use (harsh language).
5. (transitive) To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it.
6. (figuratively, often, poetic, transitive) To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it.
7. (broadly, especially, transitive) To catch up (on production output) by making frenzied or herculean efforts.
8. (British, dialectal, transitive) To protect (seed-hay) from stormy weather by putting sheaves of them into small stacks.
9. (intransitive) Of the weather: to be violent, with strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
10. (intransitive) To be exposed to harsh (especially cold) weather.
11. (figuratively, intransitive) To move noisily and quickly like a storm (noun sense 1), usually in a state of anger or uproar.
12. (broadly, figuratively, intransitive) To move quickly in the course of an assault on a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.
13. (figuratively, intransitive) To be in a violent temper; to use harsh language; to fume, to rage.

Synonyms

tempest

gale

rage

😡

hurricane

assault

squall

windstorm

cyclone

🌀

wind

thunderstorm

attack

👊

typhoon

rainstorm

charge

strong wind

rush

roar

air

gust

tornado

🌪️

force

whirlwind

burst

ramp

onslaught

besiege

disaster

blizzard

disorderly

violent storm

wind and rain

heavy rain

waterfalls

weather

surprise

rampage

be furious

boisterous

dust storm

downpour

bluster

rag

dispute

blow up

dart

🎯

blow

barge

danger

❗

infiltrate

crash

Translations

tempête

Sturm

tormenta

orage

tempesta

storm

tempestade

tempestad

θύελλα

bufera

tempesta

onweer

καταιγίδα

fırtına

Pronounced as (IPA)

/stɔːm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: storm

Cognate with Danish: storm

Cognate with Dutch: storm

Cognate with German: Sturm

Cognate with Icelandic: stormur

Cognate with Low German: storm

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: storm

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: storm

Cognate with Scots: storm

Cognate with Swedish: storm

Cognate with Western Frisian: stoarm

Inherited from Middle English: stormen

Cognate with Middle English: sturmen

Cognate with Old English: styrman

Cognate with Dutch: stormen

Cognate with German: stürmen

Cognate with Icelandic: storma

Cognate with Low German: stormen

Cognate with Swedish: storma

In summary

From Middle English storm (“disturbed state of the atmosphere; heavy precipitation; battle, conflict; attack”) [and other forms], from Old English storm (“tempest, storm; attack; storm of arrows; disquiet, disturbance, tumult, uproar; onrush, rush”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *sturm (“storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz (“storm”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on”). Related to stir.
Cognates
* Danish storm (“storm”)
* Dutch storm (“storm”)
* German Sturm (“storm”)
* Icelandic stormur (“storm”)
* Low German storm (“storm”)
* Norwegian Bokmål storm (“storm”)
* Norwegian Nynorsk storm (“storm”)
* Scots storm (“storm”)
* Swedish storm (“storm”)
* West Frisian stoarm (“storm”)