From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstormstorm1 /stɔːm $ stɔːrm/ ●●● W3 noun 1 [countable]HEM a period of very bad weather when there is a lot of rain or snow, strong winds, and often lightning The weather forecast is for severe storms tonight. Twenty people were killed when the storm struck the Midwest.2 [countable usually singular]SERIOUS SITUATION a situation in which people suddenly express very strong feelings about something that someone has said or done The governor found himself at the center of a political storm.storm of protest/criticism etc Government plans for hospital closures provoked a storm of protest.3 → take somewhere by storm4 → weather the storm5 → a storm in a teacup6 → dance/sing/cook etc up a stormCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a period of very bad weather when there is a lot of rain or snow, strong winds, and often lightningADJECTIVES/NOUN + storma big stormThe tree had come down on the day of the big storm.a bad/terrible stormThis was the worst storm for 50 years.a severe/violent/fierce stormHe set out in a violent storm for Fort William.a great storm literary:the great storm of 1987a tropical stormThe tropical storm smashed through the Bahamas.a rain/snow stormThey got caught in a terrible snow storm.a dust storm (=one in which a lot of dust is blown around)Dust storms are relatively common in the Sahara.an electrical storm (=one with lightning)Power supplies have been affected by severe electrical storms in some parts of the country.a winter/summer stormPeople fear there may be more flooding when the winter storms hit.a freak storm (=an unexpected and unusually violent one)The freak storm caused chaos.an approaching storm (=one that is coming closer)The horizon was dark with an approaching storm.verbsa storm blows up (=starts)That night, a storm blew up.a storm breaks (=suddenly starts, after clouds have been increasing)The storm broke at five o’clock.a storm is brewing (=is likely to start soon)He could feel that a storm was brewing.a storm rages (=is active and violent)By the time we reached the airfield, a tropical storm was raging.a storm hits/strikes (a place)We should try to get home before the storm hits.a storm lashes/batters a place literaryFierce storms lashed the coastline.a storm abates/passesWe sat and waited for the storm to pass.a storm blows itself out (=ends)The storm finally blew itself out.ride out a storm (=survive it without being damaged)The Greek fleet had ridden out the storm near Euboia.storm + NOUNstorm cloudsWe could see storm clouds in the distance.storm damageA lot of buildings suffered storm damage.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘a strong storm’ or ‘a hard storm’. Say a big storm, a bad storm, or a violent storm.THESAURUSstorm a period of very bad weather when there is a lot of rain or snow, strong winds, and often lightningThe ship sank in a violent storm.They got caught in a storm on top of the mountain.The storm hit the coast of Florida on Tuesday.The cost of repairing storm damage will run into millions of pounds.thunderstorm a storm in which there is a lot of thunder (=loud noise in the sky) and lightning (=flashes of light in the sky)When I was young I was terrified of thunderstorms.hurricane a storm that has very strong fast winds and that moves over water – used about storms in the North Atlantic OceanHurricane Katrina battered the US Gulf Coast.the hurricane seasontyphoon a very violent tropical storm – used about storms in the Western Pacific OceanA powerful typhoon hit southern China today.Weather experts are monitoring typhoons in Hong Kong and China.cyclone a severe storm affecting a large area, in which the wind moves around in a big circleThousands of people died when a tropical cyclone hit Bangladesh.Cyclone ‘Joy’ inflicted damage estimated at $40 million, with winds of up to 145 miles per hour.tornado (also twister American English informal) an extremely violent storm that consists of air that spins very quickly and causes a lot of damageThe tornado ripped the roof off his house.For the second time in a week deadly tornadoes have torn through Tennessee.snowstorm a storm with strong winds and a lot of snowA major snowstorm blew across Colorado.blizzard a severe snowstorm in which the snow is blown around by strong winds, making it difficult to see anythingWe got stuck in a blizzard.Denver is bracing itself for blizzard conditions.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a situation in which people suddenly express very strong feelings about something that someone has said or doneadjectivesa political stormThe company became the centre of a political storm.verbscause/create a stormThe prime minister caused a storm by criticizing military commanders.provoke/spark/raise a storm (=make it start)This decision provoked a storm of protest from civil rights organizations.a storm blows up (=starts)In 1895 a diplomatic storm blew up between Britain and America over Venezuela.a storm blows over (=ends)The president is just hoping that the storm will blow over quickly.ride out the storm (=survive the situation)Do you think the government will be able to ride out the storm?phrasesa storm of protestThe killing caused a storm of protest.a storm of controversyHis book raised a storm of controversy.a storm of criticismA storm of criticism forced the government to withdraw the proposal.be at the centre of a storm British English, be at the center of a storm American English (=be the person or thing that is causing strong protest, criticism etc)He has been at the centre of a storm surrounding donations to the party.
Examples from the Corpus
storm• The hot wind blows a storm of dust and leaves, and the women retreat into their houses.• It was the first big storm we've had all season.• At 77, Paul Lamson of Hingham has seen many storms.• It is designed to withstand the sort of storm that statistically would be expected to occur once in every 10,000 years.• There had not been such severe storms in southern England for hundreds of years.• A terrible storm comes to the island and a whale beaches on the shore.• With little in the way of grass or forests or wetlands to hold it back, runoff during the storms is extreme.• The Spanish ships were wrecked in the storm.• Yet now I wanted to feel it outside, to embrace the full force of the storm.• The storm clouds were gathering over the sea.• The storm is nearer now too near.stormstorm2 ●○○ verb 1 [transitive]ATTACK to suddenly attack and enter a place using a lot of force An angry crowd stormed the embassy.► see thesaurus at attack2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]ANGRY to go somewhere in a noisy fast way that shows you are extremely angrystorm out of/into/off etc Alan stormed out of the room.3 [intransitive, transitive] literarySHOUTANGRY to shout something in an angry way ‘What difference does it make?’ she stormed.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
storm• On the coach Geoffrey had stared morosely out of the window; now he stormed along the wing with ferocious determination.• Heavily armed and masked gunmen stormed an ammunitions store in Co. Mayo.• Armies of worried men in suits stormed off the Lexington Avenue subway line and marched down the crooked pavements.• Noades stormed out after eight clubs blocked the proposed £13million Bass sponsorship deal and six other club representatives followed him.• He stormed out of the bathroom.• Angered by the betrayal, Rhee and Yun stormed out of the building.• Several dozen rebels stormed the ambassador's residence.• an attempt by government forces to storm the hijacked airplane• On the night of June 27 a crowd of up to two hundred people stormed the jail.• He played the proverbial blinder as Galway stormed to a famous victory.storm out of/into/off etc• Yoyo stormed out of that room and into her own.• Angered by the betrayal, Rhee and Yun stormed out of the building.• She later loses her patience with Robert and Andy and storms out of the farm.• They argued constantly and the arguments almost always ended with Tom storming out of the house.• On the basis of that petty insult, Pick stormed out of the negotiations, never to return.• The conference leaders, leafy and Obey, stormed out of the room, furiously protesting the breach of conference procedure.• Sometimes she stormed out into the street.• Sister Jean Andrew, the principal, stormed out of the wings and faced the class with her hands on her hips.Origin storm1 Old English 