thunderstorm

noun

thun·​der·​storm ˈthən-dər-ˌstȯrm 

: a storm accompanied by lightning and thunder

Examples of thunderstorm in a Sentence

There are thunderstorms in the forecast.

The weather service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Regional forecasts are often concerned with extreme events, such as heavy rainfall, squall lines, severe thunderstorms or hurricanes. — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026

Light showers will move into the Charlotte area early Saturday, then transition to a 90% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms later in the day, forecasters say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026

Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue through Thursday night, with heavy rainfall in waves that could lead to flooding along area rivers, creeks and streams, the National Weather Service said. — Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

That could bring some elevated humidity and a small chance of thunderstorms and cloud coverage in mountainous areas, but not enough to significantly lower temperatures across the region. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thunderstorm

• chloroform
• coliform
• cribriform
• cruciform
• filiform
• fusiform
• isoform
• microform
• multiform
• outperform
• piriform
• plexiform

Kids Definition

thunderstorm

noun

thun·​der·​storm -ˌstȯ(ə)rm 

: a storm accompanied by lightning and thunder