inclement
Americanadjective
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(of the weather, the elements, etc.) severe, rough, or harsh; stormy.
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not kind or merciful.
adjective
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(of weather) stormy, severe, or tempestuous
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harsh, severe, or merciless
Other Word Forms
- inclemency noun
- inclemently adverb
- inclementness noun
Etymology
Origin of inclement
1615–25; < Latin inclēment-, equivalent to in- in- 3 + clēment- (stem of clēmēns ) clement
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rescuers, stymied by inclement weather, so far have located the bodies of seven women and a man killed in the avalanche.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
Drone operators have faced regulatory obstacles, community concerns about noise, safety and privacy, and limitations to flying in inclement weather.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
USC should be used to the inclement weather by now.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025
This past summer, new coasters broke down, inclement weather forced some parks to close for days at a time, and sales of season passes slumped.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025
It was something San Piedro prided itself on, the fact that its men had the courage to fish alone even in inclement weather.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
