tempest

/ˈtempɪst/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈɛmpəst] /ˈtempɪst/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈɛmpəst] /ˈtem-pəst/ (ame, mw)

tempest — noun

  • tempestsingular
  • tempestsplural

1. a powerful and dangerous storm with extremely strong winds, heavy rain, and ofte

1.名詞C1
釋義

a powerful and dangerous storm with extremely strong winds, heavy rain, and often thunder — used mostly in formal, literary, or older writing

例句

A sudden tempest tore through the fishing village, sinking three small boats overnight.

tempest tore through [place] — common literary collocation

The old sailor described the tempest that nearly drowned his crew near Lisbon.

同義詞
  • storm

    the everyday word; 'tempest' is the formal, literary version

  • gale

    specifically a very strong wind, not necessarily with heavy rain

  • hurricane

    a named tropical cyclone in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific, far more specific

反義詞
  • calm

    a quiet, windless period — the opposite of stormy weather

用法筆記

Mostly literary or formal. In daily speech a Taiwanese learner should reach for 'storm' instead. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense refers to actual weather, while sense 2 is figurative (a noisy human reaction).

常見錯誤

❌There will be a small tempest this afternoon.
✅There will be a small storm this afternoon.
💡Tempest sounds odd for ordinary weather forecasts; reserve it for serious, often literary descriptions of violent weather.

2. a sudden, noisy outburst of strong feeling — usually anger, protest, or argument

2.名詞C1
釋義

a sudden, noisy outburst of strong feeling — usually anger, protest, or argument — that spreads through a group of people

例句

The minister's careless joke unleashed a tempest of criticism across social media.

a tempest of criticism

Andrés stirred up a tempest by accusing the chairman of hiding the budget figures.

stir up a tempest

同義詞
  • uproar

    very close in meaning; slightly more common in modern writing

  • outcry

    a strong public expression of disapproval, usually about an issue

  • furor

    formal; a sudden public outburst of excitement or anger

  • commotion

    a noisy disturbance, often more about physical noise than directed anger

反義詞
  • calm

    an absence of strong reaction or public protest

文法句型

a tempest of + [noun]

用法筆記

Frequently 'a tempest of + [abstract noun]' (criticism, protest, anger, outrage). Subject of the reaction is usually a group, not a single person. Distinguish from sense 1: no real weather is involved — the metaphor borrows the violence and noise of a storm to picture a human uproar.

常見錯誤

❌My sister threw a tempest when I borrowed her phone.
✅My sister threw a fit when I borrowed her phone.
💡'Tempest' in this sense needs a group reaction; one person's anger is a 'fit' or 'tantrum', not a tempest.