1
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
order was restored to the court after the judge put a stop to the defendant's tempestuous outburst
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
in terms of social change, the 1960s are generally considered the most tempestuous decade in recent American history
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3
as in rough
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
we spent a tempestuous night stranded on the summit of the mountain
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4
as in bleak
marked by wet and windy conditions
stay indoors this weekend as the weather promises to be tempestuous
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tempestuous
Scorsese and Liza Minnelli were one tempestuous couple.
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David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
The novel and its three sequels, collectively known as the Neapolitan Quartet, follow two women, Lila and Elena, through a tempestuous, competitive, and emotionally intense friendship that doubles as a history of postwar feminism and postwar Italy.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Norvell was hired as a contrast to the personally tempestuous and offensively conservative Addazio.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
The union would turn out to be tempestuous and the two were divorced in 1961 after five years together.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tempestuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempestuous
Adjective
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Safavi said the blackout coincided with violent confrontations in several regions.—
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Parallel societies in certain urban areas and rising violent crime statistics linked to some migrant cohorts in countries such as Sweden and Germany led to the dramatic rise of populist and patriotic parties across the continent, from France to Italy to the Netherlands.—
Adjective
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Use extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.—
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The story of the Platonic representation hypothesis paper began in early 2023, a turbulent time for AI researchers.—
Adjective
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The Heat’s rough night began with a disastrous start, trailing 36-12 just 10 minutes into the contest.—
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Marty’s face prominently features a scar on his cheekbone and additional scarring under his chin, suggesting a rough life.—
Adjective
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Protecting Rodgers against the Texans’ ferocious pass rush represents a tall task, though.—
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Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.—
Adjective
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Some nearby residents, including Sue Weston — the owner of Weston Gardens in Bloom, a historic garden located on Anglin Drive — have expressed fierce opposition to the data center.—
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Last year, the governor tried to increase the number of in-office days to four only to face fierce resistance from his employees and their labor representatives.—
Adjective
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Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
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For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Adjective
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For five years, the group from Mexico's National Autonomous University has climbed the volcano with pounds of equipment, risked data loss due to bad weather or a volcanic explosion and used artificial intelligence to analyze the seismic data.—
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Such swarms are commonly associated with volcanic activity but can occur elsewhere.—
Cite this Entry
“Tempestuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempestuous. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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