What does tempestuous mean?
Word: Tempestuous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Tempestuous means full of strong feelings and sudden changes, or very stormy.
Synonyms: turbulent, wild, stormy
Antonyms: calm, peaceful, placid
Word origin: Comes from the late Latin word tempestuosus, from Latin tempestas.
How do you spell tempestuous?
Syllables: tem - pes - tu - ous
Tricky part: The end of the word catches students: they hear a choo sound before ous and leave out a letter or add the wrong one.
Watch out for: tempestous, tempestious
Memory tip: Listen for the choo before ous and spell that sound tu, as you do in virtuous and sumptuous.
Tempestuous in a sentence
Example 1: The ferry stayed in port until the tempestuous sea had settled.
Example 2: Their tempestuous friendship swung between loud quarrels and warm hugs.
Example 3: After a tempestuous night, the beach at Puri was covered in driftwood.
Fun Fact
Shakespeare's play The Tempest opens with a ship caught in a great storm, the same stormy idea this adjective carries.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
temp_ _tuous
a) is
b) as
c) es
d) os
Show answer
c) es. The vowel is the e of the noun tempest, heard clearly when the word is said.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. tempestuous 2. obscure 3. reckless a. famous b. serene c. cautious
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. A serene lake is the reverse of a wild one, an obscure poet is no famous one, and a cautious driver is the reverse of a reckless one.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) tempestuous : placid
b) barren : fertile
c) bashful : bold
d) arrid : damp
Show answer
d) arrid : damp. Arid has one r; each pair here is a set of opposites.
Spell Probe
One word in the sentence is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word:
The teenage violinist gave a tenpestuous performance of the concerto, and the audience in the packed hall rose to applaud her.
a) a long piece for a soloist and orchestra
b) to clap to show that you liked something
c) marked by fiery and restless emotion
d) the people watching a show
Show answer
c) marked by fiery and restless emotion. The m of the opening has become n, and the word describes a fiery way of playing.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which weather report would suit the word tempestuous?
a) gales and towering waves along the coast
b) a dry and cloudless week ahead
c) thin mist over a still mountain lake
d) light drizzle before a sunny afternoon
Show answer
a) gales and towering waves along the coast
2. Which pair of words is least likely to appear beside tempestuous in a description?
a) hushed and gentle
b) wild and noisy
c) rough and angry
d) fierce and restless
Show answer
a) hushed and gentle
