adjective
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of or relating to a tempest
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violent or stormy
a tempestuous love affair
Other Word Forms
- tempestuously adverb
- tempestuousness noun
- untempestuous adjective
- untempestuousness noun
Etymology
Origin of tempestuous
First recorded in 1500–10; from Late Latin tempestuōsus, derivative of tempestus, variant of tempestās tempest ( -ous ); replacing earlier tempeste(u)ous, tempestious ( -eous, -ious )
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.
If that pattern persists, the second year of his current term could be even more tempestuous than the first.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
When the tempestuous swings of the algorithms meant standard, free social media posts weren’t getting the visibility they used to, many businesses shifted to ads instead.
From Slate • Jul. 16, 2025
But the relationship was tempestuous from the start.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025
The series is a dark but vital firsthand glimpse into the mind of a tempestuous teenager.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2025
Her desolation was pathetic as she sat with her tempestuous, proud, lovely head bowed, her shoulders sagging, her spirit melting.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
