tempest-tossed

1 9.9

Shaken by strong storms or by great troubles

adjective
/ˈtɛmpɪst tɔst/

Literature

: sacudido por tormentas

The tempest-tossed survivors of the disaster were finally brought to safety by the rescue team.

Examples

Feeling tempest-tossed by his struggles, he sought comfort among friends who understood his challenges.
"Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me."

Saboteur (1942)
Many immigrants arrive as tempest-tossed individuals seeking a better life in a new land.

Synonyms

tempest-tost

vstempest-tossed

Archaic

1 9.9

Beaten by storms and hard times

is identical in meaning but is a different stylistic form

storm-tossed

vstempest-tossed

1 7.9

Hit hard by strong storms or many serious problems

focuses on battering by storms specifically rather than general troubles

tempest-swept

vstempest-tossed

Literature

9.3

Struck again and again by strong storms or great troubles

emphasizes physical striking more than broad figurative hardship

buffeted

vstempest-tossed

6.5

Hit again and again by strong winds or other problems

is narrower to storms and repeated battering rather than any strong force

Antonyms

stable

473 2.3

Not likely to change and stays steady over time

How Battered

ruined

1 3.1

battered

NSFW

1 4.6

tempest-tossed

Literature

1 9.9

disturbed

1 4.1

untouched

20 3.0

Surface Forms

tempest-tossed positive

Morphology

tempest-tossed = tempest + tossed (transparent) = tempest + toss + ed

Formed by compounding 'tempest' and the past-participle adjective 'tossed', meaning literally 'tossed by a storm', which learners can infer from the parts.

Etymology

Tempest-tossed comes from tempest ('storm') and tossed ('thrown about'). Imagine a small boat being thrown by rough seas; that image shows why we call people or things shaken and beaten by storms or by great troubles 'tempest-tossed'.