tempestuous
/tɛmˈpɛstjʊəs
/adjective
1Characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion: he had a reckless and tempestuous streak...
- The General often seems to use reason and intelligence to paper over an emotionally tempestuous nature, and I wonder if his reaction to being ruled out of the running to lead Europe might have had something to do with this statement's odd-ness.
- It is still hard to fathom how it is that people can be so tempestuous, so very emotionally self-indulgent, around those who really shouldn't be expected to put up with it.
- He brought strong intensity and passion to Bellini's tempestuous masterpiece.
Synonyms
emotional, passionate, intense, impassioned, fiery, temperamental;
volatile, excitable, mercurial, capricious, unpredictable, erratic, hot-tempered, quick-tempered
2Very stormy: a tempestuous wind...
- What induced this stormy outburst on this tempestuous May morning?
- And if tempestuous catabatic winds blow, the itinerary allows plenty of time to wait them out in four-season tents.
- But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
Synonyms
stormy, blustery, squally, wild, turbulent, windy, gusty, blowy, rainy, thundery, rough, choppy;
angry, dirty, foul, nasty, inclement;
howling, roaring, raging, furious
rare boisterous
Derivatives
tempestuously
- The start to this tempestuously competitive Test couldn't have been much worse for the home team.
- There are times in British working class history where that spontaneous activity flowered so tempestuously that many workers became convinced that their activity on its own was enough to change the social order.
- He glowered, his brown eyes sparkling tempestuously.
tempestuousness
- The wind blew it from east to west with fickle tempestuousness, and a violent spray of it hit Pieta's cheek.
- A sense of responsibility has shackled his tempestuousness, while a return to education has revealed qualities of introspection.
- His name is an international signature for tempestuousness, sex appeal and poetry - he has it all.
Origin
Late Middle English: from late Latin tempestuosus, from Latin tempestas (see tempest).