tempest
n. countable C2 Proficiency US //ˈtɛmpəst// UK //tˈɛmpəst// tem·pest
n. a very violent and windy storm. It is a dramatic word often used in stories or poems to describe powerful weather.
n. a violent windstorm, frequently accompanied by rain, snow, or hail. Primarily literary in register; often used metaphorically to describe a period of great emotional or political upheaval.
The small boat struggled to stay afloat during the sudden tempest.
The captain ordered the crew to secure the sails before the approaching tempest reached the harbor.
The poet uses the image of a gathering tempest to mirror the protagonist's internal conflict as he prepares for the inevitable confrontation.
Usage
Often used in the figurative phrase 'a tempest in a teapot' to describe a small problem that is exaggerated.