Standard Lemma guide

thundercloud

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A large, dark cloud, usually a cumulonimbus, charged with electricity and producing thunder and lightning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: storm cloud

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something menacing and brooding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively

Examples

  • the ominous thunderclouds of war

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a dark cloud of great vertical extent charged with electricity; associated with thunderstorms

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cumulonimbus, cumulonimbus cloud

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cloud

History

Etymology

From thunder + cloud.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Southern Altai: кӱкӱрттӱ булут (kükürttü bulut) — cloud
  • Arabic: سَحَاب رَاعِد (saḥāb rāʕid) — cloud
  • Arabic: سَحَابَة رَاعِدَة (saḥāba rāʕida) — cloud
  • Arabic: رَاعِدَة (rāʕida) — cloud
  • Bulgarian: буреносен облак (burenosen oblak) — cloud
  • Bulgarian: гръмотевичен облак (grǎmotevičen oblak) — cloud
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雷雲 /雷云 (léiyún) — cloud
  • Danish: tordensky — cloud
  • Erzya: ковол (kovol) — cloud
  • Finnish: ukkospilvi — cloud
  • German: Gewitterwolke — cloud
  • Hungarian: viharfelhő — cloud
  • Ingrian: ukontuuca — cloud
  • Ingrian: jyrypilvi — cloud
  • Korean: 뇌운 (noe'un) — cloud
  • Kumyk: къара булутлар (qara bulutlar) — cloud
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tordensky — cloud
  • Polish: chmura burzowa — cloud
  • Russian: грозова́я (grozovája) — cloud
  • Spanish: nubarrón — cloud
  • Swedish: åskmoln — cloud
  • Lower Tanana: k'wth nadlboddhi — cloud
  • Turkish: fırtına bulutu — cloud
  • Finnish: ukkospilvi — something menacing and brooding
  • Hungarian: viharfelő — something menacing and brooding
  • Korean: 먹구름이 끼다 (meokgureumi kkida) — something menacing and brooding
  • Polish: burza — something menacing and brooding