Tempeste

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A violent and turbulent atmospheric disturbance characterized by strong winds and heavy rain or snow
2. A severe and often chaotic weather occurrence that can lead to destruction and disruption
3. An intense storm marked by high winds and adverse weather conditions that may generate significant challenges for those affected

Etymology: "Tempeste" is an early spelling of "tempest," which English borrowed from Old French "tempeste" in the late 1200s, when it first appeared in writing with the sense of a violent storm. The French word came from Latin "tempestas," which meant weather in general, good or bad, and whose root is "tempus," time. The link is the Latin idea of a season or period of weather, so a storm was originally just one kind of weather at a given time. The meaning narrowed over the centuries. In Latin, "tempestas" could describe fair weather as readily as foul, and English "tempest" shared that wide range for a while before settling on violent wind and rain. Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (around 1611) helped cement the word's association with dramatic upheaval, and English speakers have used it figuratively for turmoil ever since.

Synonyms: storm, tempest, gale, squall, blizzard

Antonyms: calm, clear, sunshine, serenity, tranquility