# a perfect storm

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/a-perfect-storm
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

the worst possible situation

## Examples

- The bad weather and the broken car create a perfect storm.
- The flight was canceled because of a perfect storm of heavy snow, a pilot strike, and a technical computer failure.
- The company faced a perfect storm when the global recession hit just as their main factory was destroyed by a fire, leading to an immediate financial crisis.

## Origin

A meteorological term for a rare convergence of weather events; popularised by Sebastian Junger's 1997 book The Perfect Storm about a 1991 Atlantic storm.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.