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tormenta

storm

noun tohr-MEN-tah Less Common
Animals & Nature Weather

Origin: From Latin tormentum, 'instrument of torture' (from torquere, 'to twist').

Usage Note

Tormenta denotes a full storm with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain, making it more severe than lluvia (rain) or chaparrón (downpour). The idiom una tormenta en un vaso de agua (a storm in a teacup) — parallel to the English expression — is widely used. Tormenta is also used figuratively for a crisis or emotional upheaval (una tormenta política).

Examples

"Una tormenta sorprendió a los excursionistas."

Natural Translation

A storm caught the hikers by surprise.

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