Word.ws English Dictionary

storm

UK/stɔːm/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

Australia/stoːm/

storm noun: 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. Also the ellipsis of storm window.

Noun (1)

storm (plural storms)

  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.
    • Near-synonyms: cyclone (broad sense), tempest
    • The boat was torn to pieces in the storm, and nobody survived.
    Synonyms:
    cyclone, tempest
    1. (broadly) A heavy fall of precipitation (hail, rain, or snow) or bout of lightning and thunder without strong winds; a hail storm, rainstorm, snowstorm, or thunderstorm.
    2. (broadly) Synonym of cyclone (“a weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure”).
    3. (Canada, Scotland, US, broadly, dated) A period of frosty and/or snowy weather.
    4. A disturbed state of the atmosphere between a severe or strong gale and a hurricane on the modern Beaufort scale, with a wind speed of between 89 and 102 kilometres per hour (55–63 miles per hour; 10 on the scale, known as a "storm" or whole gale), or of between 103 and 117 kilometres per hour (64–72 miles per hour; 11 on the scale, known as a "violent storm").
  2. (figuratively) A heavy expulsion or fall of things (as blows, objects which are thrown, etc.).
    • a storm of bullets
    • Adrastus firſt aduanſt his creſt aloft, / And boldly gan a ſtrong ſcalado reare, / And through the falling ſtorme did vpward clime / Of ſtones, dartes, arrovves, fire, pitch and lime: […]1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Eleuenth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […]...
  3. (figuratively) A violent agitation of human society; a domestic, civil, or political commotion.
    • The proposed reforms have led to a political storm.
    • Savv you no more? Mark'd you not hovv hir ſiſter / Began to ſcold, and raiſe vp ſuch a ſtorme, / That moral eares might hardly indure the din.c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
    Synonyms:
    tempest, tumult
  4. (figuratively) A violent commotion or outbreak of sounds, speech, thoughts, etc.; also, an outpouring of emotion.
    • a storm of protest
    • [W]as there euer any thing proiected, that fauoured any vvay of nevvneſſe or renevving, but the ſame endured many a ſtorme of gaine-ſaying, or oppoſition?1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC
  5. (figuratively) Chiefly with a qualifying word: a violent attack of diease, pain, physiological reactions, symptoms, etc.; a paroxysm.
    • asthmatic storm cytokine storm
    • He ſvvet and ſvvet againe vvith ſuch exceſſiue ſvvoonings, as not only himſelfe, but likevviſe all the beholders, did verily deeme, that his life vvas ending. This ſtorme and miſhappe endured about ſome tvvo hovvres, after vvhich hee remayned not cured as his Maſter, but ſo vveary and indiſpoſed...1612, [Miguel de Cervantes], “Wherein are Rehearsed the Innumerable Misfortunes which Don-Quixote and His Good Squire Sancho Suffered in the Inne, which He to His Harme Thought to be a Castle”, in...

Verb

storm (third-person singular simple present storms, present participle storming, simple past and past participle stormed)

  1. (US, impersonal) Preceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
    • It stormed throughout the night.
    • Throughout the night it stormed violently—rain, hail, snow, and sleet beating upon the vessel—the wind continuing ahead, and the sea running high.1840, R[ichard] H[enry] D[ana], Jr., chapter V, in Two Years before the Mast. […] (Harper’s Family Library; no. CVI), New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers […], →OCLC, page 34
  2. (transitive) To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently.
    • And dovvne I laid to liſt the ſad tun'd tale, / Ere long eſpied a fickle maid full pale / Tearing of papers breaking rings a tvvaine, / Storming her vvorld vvith ſorrovves, vvind and raine.1609, William Shakespeare, “A Louers Complaint”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, signature K, verso
    • Meantime, our simulated thunderclaps / Which tell us counterfeited truths—these same / Are—sound, when music storms the soul, perhaps?1878, Robert Browning, “The Two Poets of Croisic”, in La Saisiaz: The Two Poets of Croisic, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, stanza 64, page 127
  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.
    • the storming of the Bastille
    • Troops stormed the complex.
    1. (figuratively, often, poetic, transitive) To assault or gain control or power over (someone's heart, mind, etc.).
      • No Engines can a Tyrant find, / to ſtorm the Truth-ſupported Mind, […]1750 March 27 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Thomas Morell (lyrics), George Frideric Handel (music), Theodora: An Oratorio […], London: […] I. Walsh […], published [1751], →OCLC, page 17
  6. (broadly, especially, transitive) To catch up (on production output) by making frenzied or herculean efforts.
    • They were storming near the end of the month to salvage some goodwill.
  7. (UK, dialectal, transitive) To protect (seed-hay) from stormy weather by putting sheaves of them into small stacks.
  8. (intransitive) Of the weather: to be violent, with strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
    • My harueſte haſts to ſtirre vp winter ſterne, / And bids him clayme with rigorous rage hys right. / So nowe he ſtormes with many a ſturdy ſtoure, / So now his bluſtring blaſt eche coſte doth ſcoure.1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “December. Ægloga Duodecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 50, verso
    • [H]e, whose bow thus storm'd / For our offences, may be calm'd.[1611?], Homer, “Book I”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new...
  9. (intransitive) To be exposed to harsh (especially cold) weather.
  10. (figuratively, intransitive) To move noisily and quickly like a storm (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1), usually in a state of anger or uproar.
    • She stormed out of the room.
    • Then the music touch'd the gates and died; / Rose again from where it seem'd to fail, / Storm'd in orbs of song, a growing gale; […]1842, Alfred Tennyson, “The Vision of Sin”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 214
  11. (broadly, figuratively, intransitive) To move quickly in the course of an assault on a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.
  12. (figuratively, intransitive) To be in a violent temper; to use harsh language; to fume, to rage.
    • [T]he prieſts of the countrey cluſtering togither, began to grudge and ſtorme againſt Tindall [William Tyndale], rauing againſt him in alehouſes and other places.1610 October, John Foxe, “The Life and Storie of the True Seruant and Martyr of God William Tindall: Who for His Notable Paines and Trauell may Well bee Called the Apostle of England in This our...
    • VVhy looke you hovv you ſtorme, / I vvould be friends vvith you, and haue your loue, / Forget the ſhames that you haue ſtain'd me vvith, […]c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act...

Noun (2)

storm (plural storms)

  1. A violent assault on a fortified position or stronghold.

Proper noun capitalized: Storm

Storm

  1. A unisex given name.
  2. A surname.

Also used as

storm is also the ellipsis of storm window.

storm meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

storm in Hindi

disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather
आंधी āndhī, आँधी āndhī, अंधड़ andhaṛ

storm in Tamil

disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather
புயல் puyal

storm in Marathi

disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather
तुफान tuphān, वादळ vādaḷ

storm in Urdu

disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather
طُوفان tūfān, آنْدھی āndhī
More languagesFewer languages
storm in Bengali
ঝড় jhoṛ
storm in Malayalam
കൊടുങ്കാറ്റ് koṭuṅkāṟṟŭ
storm in Punjabi
ਤੂਫਾਨ tūphān
storm in Gujarati
તોફાન tophān
storm in Odia
ଝଡ଼ jhaṛa
storm in Sinhala
කුනාටුව kunāṭuwa
storm in Assamese
ধুমুহা dhumuha
storm in Pashto
توپان topãn, جکړ jakaṛ
storm in Tagalog
bagyo
storm in Arabic
عَاصِفَة ʕāṣifa, طُوفَان ṭūfān, عَاصْفة ʕāṣfa
storm in Malay
ribut, hujan
storm in Indonesian
badai
storm in Persian
طوفان tufân, کولاک kulâk
storm in Thai
พายุ paa-yú
storm in Vietnamese
bão
storm in Myanmar
လေမုန်တိုင်း lemuntuing:, မုန်တိုင်း muntuing:

Examples of storm in a sentence

  • Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt.1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie: […], London: […] [James...
  • But ſeeing that there the murdring Enemie, / Peſle-meſle, purſued them like a ſtorme of hayle, / They gan retyre vvhere Iuba vvas encampt; […]1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie: […], London: […] [James...
  • [W]e heare this fearefull tempeſt ſing, / Yet ſeeke no ſhelter to auoid the ſtorme: / We ſee the vvind ſit ſore vpon our ſailes.1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […]...
  • And vvhat at firſt vvas call'd a guſt, the ſame / Hath novv a ſtormes, anon a tempeſts name.1597, J[ohn] Donne, “The Storme. To Mr Christopher Brooke.”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher]...

All 40 example sentences with storm

Synonyms of storm

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of storm

Forms of storm

Noun
pluralstorms
Verb
third-person singular presentstorms
present participlestorming
past participlestormed
paststormed
second-person singular present (archaic)stormest
second-person singular past (archaic)stormedst
third-person singular present (archaic)stormeth

Past tense of storm: stormed

Plural of storm: storms

Origin of storm

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”)

The verb is derived from Middle English stormen (“of the wind: to blow violently; to cause to roll or toss”), from storm (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitives of verbs). Compare Middle English sturmen (“to attack (someone) with great force”), from Old English styrman (“to rage, storm; to make a great noise, cry aloud, shout, storm”), from Proto-West Germanic *sturmijan (“to storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmijaną (“to storm”), from *sturmaz (“a storm”) (see etymology 1) + *-janą (suffix forming causatives from strong verbs, with a sense of ‘to cause to do [the action of the verb]’). The Middle English word did not survive into modern English. The noun is derived from verb etymology 2, verb sense 2.3 (“to violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it”). Cognates * Dutch stormen (“to bluster, storm”) * German stürmen (“to rage, storm; to assault, attack”) * Icelandic storma (“to storm”) * Low German stormen (“to storm”) * Swedish storma (“to bluster, storm”)

Words formed from storm

Phrases with storm

105 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with storm

9 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about storm

What does storm mean?
Storm means 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.
What is storm in Hindi?
Storm in Hindi is आंधी (āndhī), आँधी (āndhī), अंधड़ (andhaṛ). See Storm meaning in Hindi.
How do you use storm in a sentence?
Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt.
What part of speech is storm?
Storm can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce storm?
Storm is pronounced /stɔːm/ (UK).
What is the plural of storm?
The plural of storm is storms.

Words near storm in the dictionary

  1. storkwise
  2. storky
  3. Storlie
  4. Storlien
  5. Storlies
  6. storm
  7. storm and stress
  8. storm beach
  9. storm beaches
  10. storm boot
  11. storm card

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: storm (page history and authors); Storm (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-us-storm.ogg.

Cite this entry: “storm.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/storm. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.