storm
/stoɹm/noun, verb
storm is spelled S-T-O-R-M: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 46 times per million words in written English, the 2,204th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Storm, the name). As a noun, storm means “Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of storm is storms.
How many letters and syllables are in storm?
| Letters | 5: S-T-O-R-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 46 times per million words; the 2,204th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is storm?
Storm appears 46 times per million words in written English, the 2,204th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Storm, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce storm?
- UK /stɔːm/
- British /stoːm/
- US /stoɹm/
Storm has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-storm.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with storm?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as storm from its last stressed vowel (/oɹm/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of storm
- storms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- storming participle, present
- stormed participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does storm mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any disturbed state of the atmosphere causing destructive or unpleasant weather, especially one affecting the earth's surface involving strong winds (leading to high waves at sea) and usually lightning, thunder, and precipitation.
Near-synonyms: cyclone (broad sense), tempest
- 2
A heavy fall of precipitation (hail, rain, or snow) or bout of lightning and thunder without strong winds; a hail storm, rainstorm, snowstorm, or thunderstorm.
- 3
Synonym of cyclone (“a weather phenomenon consisting of a system of winds rotating around a centre of low atmospheric pressure”).
- 4
CanadaScotlandUSdatedA period of frosty and/or snowy weather.
- 5
A disturbed state of the atmosphere between a severe or strong gale and a hurricane on the modern Beaufort scale, with a wind speed of between 89 and 102 kilometres per hour (55–63 miles per hour; 10 on the scale, known as a "storm" or whole gale), or of between 103 and 117 kilometres per hour (64–72 miles per hour; 11 on the scale, known as a "violent storm").
- 6
A heavy expulsion or fall of things (as blows, objects which are thrown, etc.).
a storm of bullets
- 7
A violent agitation of human society; a domestic, civil, or political commotion.
The proposed reforms have led to a political storm.
- 8
A violent commotion or outbreak of sounds, speech, thoughts, etc.; also, an outpouring of emotion.
a storm of protest
- 9
A violent assault on a fortified position or stronghold.
verb
- 1
USPreceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow.
It stormed throughout the night.
- 2
To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently.
- 3
To disturb or trouble (someone).
- 4
To use (harsh language).
- 5
To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it.
the storming of the Bastille
- 6
To assault or gain control or power over (someone's heart, mind, etc.).
- 7
To catch up (on production output) by making frenzied or herculean efforts.
They were storming near the end of the month to salvage some goodwill.
- 8
UKTo protect (seed-hay) from stormy weather by putting sheaves of them into small stacks.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Storm in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | orage, tempête, tourmente , assaillir, donner l’assaut |
| German | Sturm , stürmen |
| Portuguese | tormenta, tempestade, intempérie , assaltar , vendaval, borrasca |
| Spanish | tormenta, tempestad, temporal , borrasca, vendaval , tempestear |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does storm come from?
From Middle English storm (“disturbed state of the atmosphere; heavy precipitation; battle, conflict; attack”) [and other forms], from Old English storm (“tempest, storm; attack; storm of arrows; disquiet, disturbance, tumult, uproar; onrush, rush”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *sturm (“storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmaz (“storm”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on”). Related to stir.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).