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violent storm

violent storm

5 3.4
A very strong storm with high winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tormenta violenta
  • Residents were warned to take shelter as a violent storm approached the coast.
  • violent storm at sea
  • ships in a violent storm
  • violent storms leave

Examples

  • One of the most violent storms in North Carolina history began in an instant.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Their high bows and sterns protect them from heavy seas and violent storms, as do their strong hulls made entirely from oak.

    Blog text (32)
  • Tens of thousands of trees were lost throughout city streets and in parks during the violent storm.

    Blog text (8)
  • Still, pilots should try to avoid those violent storms.

    Blog text (10)
  • The pool has been closed since last Friday night when a violent storm caused massive power outages in the Washington area.

    Blog text (33)
  • In all his days of sailing the China Sea, he had never seen swirling snow in the middle of a violent storm.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She was here at the chateau, perfectly safe from the violent storm raging outside.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • We are in the middle of a violent storm—of terrifying proportions.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Rising sea levels, melting ice, deteriorating permafrost, and increasingly violent storms were rendering their village uninhabitable.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The violent storm caused widespread power outages throughout the region.

Synonyms

storm
vsviolent storm
1.0

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

gives an exact high wind range and a formal force classification

Antonyms

1 1.0

Weather with little wind or waves

How Severe

hurricane
301 2.2
violent storm
  • Specialized
5 3.4
storm
1.0
strong gale
  • Specialized
6.2
gale
24 5.8
to breeze
1 1.0

Surface Forms

violent storm singular

Morphology

violent + storm

The meaning 'a severe or forceful storm' is directly and compositionally derived from combining 'violent' (showing great force or destructiveness) with 'storm' (heavy wind/rain/thunder). This ADJ+NOUN pattern is a transparent modifier relationship and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Violent storm paints a clear picture: violent means very strong and storm means strong wind and heavy rain that can damage things. So, it means 'a very strong, dangerous storm'.