Skip to main content
typhoon

typhoon

30 3.8
A very strong storm with heavy rain and strong winds that forms in the western Pacific or the Indian Ocean
  • noun
  • /taɪˈfun/
translation icon : tifón
  • One year later, in the Philippines, Super Typhoon Haiyan crossed areas of the Pacific three degrees Celsius warmer than normal.
  • typhoon and flooding

By the way, hurricanes and typhoons are the same thing.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • These are normally referred to as typhoons after a Japanese word for hurricane.

  • Here I am in the middle of typhoon season, a tough voyage ahead.

  • But too much rain in a short period, like after a typhoon, can lead to serious problems.

  • One year, in September, a huge typhoon hit our area.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The record wet weather continues, as another winter typhoon forms off the coast.

  • When I left Manila, there was a a typhoon that was affecting our weather.

  • Mission: Joint service operation providing relief to Bangladesh after the typhoon of May 1991.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Ma, meanwhile, has recovered from the political damage wrought by Typhoon Morakot, which struck the island in August 2009.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Both islands are in the path of typhoons and are characterized by windy and rainy weather.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The city was severely damaged after the typhoon swept through, uprooting trees and causing widespread flooding.

Synonyms

storm
vstyphoon
1.0

A violent weather event with heavy rain, strong winds, and lightning

is specific to tropical rotating systems forming in western Pacific or Indian oceans
hurricane
vstyphoon
301 2.2

A very strong storm that forms over warm ocean water with powerful winds and heavy rain

forms in western Pacific or Indian oceans rather than Atlantic regions
cyclone
vstyphoon
42 3.7

A very strong storm with winds that spin and bring heavy rain and damage

is the same tropical phenomenon but specifically forms in western Pacific or Indian oceans

How Strong

typhoon
30 3.8
hurricane
301 2.2
cyclone
42 3.7
depression
  • Specialized
9 5.5

Surface Forms

typhoon singular
typhoons plural

Etymology

Typhoon probably comes from Chinese parts tai and feng, which together mean 'great wind', and the word was later mixed with the Greek name Typhon, a monster of storms. So a typhoon is an especially large and powerful wind storm at sea.