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When you act with abandon, you give in to the impulse of the moment and behave in a wild, uncontrolled way.
Abstinence is the practice of keeping away from or avoiding something you enjoy—such as the physical pleasures of excessive food and drink—usually for health or religious reasons.
A state of anarchy occurs when there is no organization or order in a nation or country, especially when no effective government exists.
If you deal with a difficult situation with aplomb, you deal with it in a confident and skillful way.
The adjective blithe indicates that someone does something casually or in a carefree fashion without much concern for the end result; as a result, they are happy and lighthearted.
Someone who is boisterous is noisy, excitable, and full of boundless energy; therefore, they show a lack of disciplined restraint at times.
Someone who has a bristling personality is easily offended, annoyed, or angered.
A choleric person becomes angry very easily.
Complacent persons are too confident and relaxed because they think that they can deal with a situation easily; however, in many circumstances, that is not the case.
If something discomfits you, it makes you feel embarrassed, confused, uncomfortable, or frustrated.
If something disconcerts you, it makes you feel anxious, worried, or confused.
Someone does something in a disinterested way when they have no personal involvement or attachment to the action.
When someone feels disquiet about a situation, they feel very worried or nervous.
If you exhibit equanimity, you demonstrate a calm mental state—without showing upset or annoyance—when you deal with a difficult situation.
Febrile behavior is full of nervous energy and activity; a sick person can be febrile as well, that is, feverish or hot.
Frenetic activity is done quickly with lots of energy but is also uncontrolled and disorganized; someone who is in a huge hurry often displays this type of behavior.
When there is havoc, there is great disorder, widespread destruction, and much confusion.
If someone is impassive, they are not showing any emotion.
If someone is imperturbable, they are always calm and not easily upset or disturbed by any situation, even dangerous ones.
Someone who is impetuous does things quickly and rashly without thinking carefully first.
Insouciance is a lack of concern or worry for something that should be shown more careful attention or consideration.
An irascible person becomes angry very easily.
If you do something in a lackadaisical way, you do it carelessly and without putting much effort into it—thereby showing that you are not really interested in what you’re doing.
A languid person is slow, relaxed, and shows little energy or interest in doing anything.
If you are lethargic, you are tired, lack energy, and are unwilling to exert effort.
When you are listless, you lack energy and interest and are unwilling to exert any effort.
A maelstrom is either a large whirlpool in the sea or a violent or agitated state of affairs.
Someone who is nonchalant is very relaxed and appears not to be worried about anything.
A person or group is nonpartisan when it does not support the ideas of any particular political party or group.
Someone who is obstreperous is noisy, unruly, and difficult to control.
A paroxysm is a sudden uncontrolled expression of emotion or a short attack of pain, coughing, or shaking.
Someone who is phlegmatic stays calm and unemotional even in dangerous or exciting situations.
A placid scene or person is calm, quiet, and undisturbed.
If something bad, such as crime or disease, is rampant, there is a lot of it—and it is increasing in a way that is difficult to control.
If you are in a state of repose, your mind is at peace or your body is at rest.
A serene place or situation is peaceful and calm.
A torrential downpour of rain is very heavy and intense.
If something is tranquil, it is peaceful, calm, and quiet.
A tumultuous event or period of time is filled with great excitement, confusion, or violence; a tumultuous reaction to something is likewise very loud and noisy because people are happy and excited.
Turbulence describes a state of extreme disorder or confusion; it can also refer to unpredictable and wild wind currents.
When you experience turmoil, there is great confusion, disturbance, instability, and disorder in your life.
A feeling that is unbridled is enthusiastic and unlimited in its expression.
When you have a vehement feeling about something, you feel very strongly or intensely about it.
A wanton action deliberately harms someone or damages something for no apparent or good reason.
Adj.
tempestuous
tem-PES-choo-uhs
Context
The tempestuous wind tossed the airborne kite wildly about. Darting furiously this way and that, it soon crashed to the ground, causing tempestuous, violent cries from the small child holding the end of its string. During the child’s tantrum, he raced to the fallen kite and tempestuously ripped it apart, showing no emotional control whatsoever. His parents decided that kite flying was going to have to wait until another day; since there was tempestuous weather or storms forecast for the rest of the week, they put it off until the next.
Quiz:Try again!
If a meeting turns tempestuous, what has happened?
It has gotten very tense and largely unproductive.
Temperature Stumbles When the temperature quickly stumbles, its drop usually is a sign of tempestuous weather ahead.
Examples
Capt. Sargent said it was the most tempestuous voyage across the Atlantic he had ever made, being a continuous struggle against furious gales, which at times blew with the force of a hurricane.
—
The New York Times
If you're not up on your Viking mythology [about the Norse god of thunder], Thor is the guy with the hammer and the tempestuous temper.
—
CNN
Once reviled by fans for his overbearing and tempestuous nature, Steinbrenner mellowed in his final decade and became beloved by employees and rivals alike for his success.
—
Mercury News
The Kennedys of reality were as much a part of the tempestuous truth and hard action of the 20th century as any single family.
—
TIME
“Storms” occur naturally at various “periods of time” during the year, linked to the seasons, which are also “periods of time.” Hence, tempestuous outbreaks are “stormy” at given “periods of time,” and, like “storms,” are often highly unpredictable in their appearance and ferocity.
Word Theater
The Perfect Storm Tempestuous weather sends the crew into a panic.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
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Related Words
abandon ·
anarchy ·
boisterous ·
bristling ·
choleric ·
discomfit ·
disconcert ·
disquiet ·
febrile ·
frenetic ·
havoc+ ·
impetuous ·
irascible ·
maelstrom+ ·
obstreperous ·
paroxysm ·
rampant ·
torrential+ ·
tumultuous ·
turbulence+ ·
turmoil+ ·
unbridled ·
vehement ·
wanton ·
abstinence ·
aplomb ·
blithe ·
complacent ·
disinterested ·
equanimity ·
impassive ·
imperturbable ·
insouciance ·
lackadaisical ·
languid ·
lethargic ·
listless ·
nonchalant ·
nonpartisan ·
phlegmatic ·
placid+ ·
repose+ ·
serene+ ·
tranquil+ ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
tempest
n
→
a violent storm
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
