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A powerful hurricane or other major weather disturbance, especially as produced by a combination of meteorological conditions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences
Examples
- 1796, William Fordyce Mavor, Historical account of the most celebrated voyages, travels, and discoveries ..., p. 161, But on the 24th of April, the wind again blew a perfect storm, and our other ships of the squadron separated, nor did any of them rejoin the commodore.
- 1914, Samuel Finley Breese Morse and Edward Lind Morse, Samuel F.B. Morse: His Letters and Journals, p. 190, Ten o'clock. Beginning to blow hard; taking in sails one after another. — Three o'clock. A perfect storm; the gale a few days ago but a gentle breeze to it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
A convergence of multiple adverse factors that together create a critical, disastrous, or unusually severe situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, figuratively
Examples
- 1862, Frank Moore, Edward Everett, The Rebellion Record: A Diary of American Events, p. 149, They sent a perfect storm of bullets, over, under, and into our men.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
First use appears c. 1936 in the newspaper The Port Arthur News.
Across languages
Translations
3 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
German:
Verkettung unglücklicher Umstände
— situation
-
Spanish:
tormenta perfecta
— situation
-
Swedish:
perfekt storm
— situation
