Word: storm Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The verb is derived from Middle English stormen (“of the wind: to blow violently; to cause to roll or toss”), from storm (noun) (see etymology 1) + -en (suffix forming the infinitives of verbs). Compare Middle English sturmen (“to attack (someone) with great force”), from Old English styrman (“to rage, storm; to make a great noise, cry aloud, shout, storm”), from Proto-West Germanic *sturmijan (“to storm”), from Proto-Germanic *sturmijaną (“to storm”), from *sturmaz (“a storm”) (see etymology 1) + *-janą (suffix forming causatives from strong verbs, with a sense of ‘to cause to do [the action of the verb]’). The Middle English word did not survive into modern English. The noun is derived from verb etymology 2, verb sense 2.3 (“to violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it”). Cognates * Dutch stormen (“to bluster, storm”) * German stürmen (“to rage, storm; to assault, attack”) * Icelandic storma (“to storm”) * Low German stormen (“to storm”) * Swedish storma (“to bluster, storm”) Pronunciation: /stɔːm/, /stɔɹm/ 1. Preceded by the dummy subject it: to have strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow. Labels: US, impersonal Example: It stormed throughout the night. Example: Throughout the night it stormed violently—rain, hail, snow, and sleet beating upon the vessel—the wind continuing ahead, and the sea running high. 2. To make (someone or something) stormy; to agitate (someone or something) violently. Labels: transitive Example: And dovvne I laid to liſt the ſad tun'd tale, / Ere long eſpied a fickle maid full pale / Tearing of papers breaking rings a tvvaine, / Storming her vvorld vvith ſorrovves, vvind and raine. Example: Meantime, our simulated thunderclaps / Which tell us counterfeited truths—these same / Are—sound, when music storms the soul, perhaps? 3. To disturb or trouble (someone). Labels: figuratively, transitive 4. To use (harsh language). Labels: figuratively, transitive 5. To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it. Labels: transitive Example: the storming of the Bastille Example: Troops stormed the complex. 6. To violently assault (a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc.) with the aim of gaining control of it. Labels: figuratively, often, poetic, transitive Example: No Engines can a Tyrant find, / to ſtorm the Truth-ſupported Mind, […] 7. To catch up (on production output) by making frenzied or herculean efforts. Labels: broadly, especially, transitive Example: They were storming near the end of the month to salvage some goodwill. 8. To protect (seed-hay) from stormy weather by putting sheaves of them into small stacks. Labels: UK, dialectal, transitive 9. Of the weather: to be violent, with strong winds and usually lightning and thunder, and/or hail, rain, or snow. Labels: intransitive Example: My harueſte haſts to ſtirre vp winter ſterne, / And bids him clayme with rigorous rage hys right. / So nowe he ſtormes with many a ſturdy ſtoure, / So now his bluſtring blaſt eche coſte doth ſcoure. Example: [H]e, whose bow thus storm'd / For our offences, may be calm'd. 10. To be exposed to harsh (especially cold) weather. Labels: intransitive 11. To move noisily and quickly like a storm (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1), usually in a state of anger or uproar. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: She stormed out of the room. Example: Then the music touch'd the gates and died; / Rose again from where it seem'd to fail, / Storm'd in orbs of song, a growing gale; […] 12. To move quickly in the course of an assault on a fortified position or stronghold, a building, etc. Labels: broadly, figuratively, intransitive 13. To be in a violent temper; to use harsh language; to fume, to rage. Labels: figuratively, intransitive Example: [T]he prieſts of the countrey cluſtering togither, began to grudge and ſtorme againſt Tindall [William Tyndale], rauing againſt him in alehouſes and other places. Example: VVhy looke you hovv you ſtorme, / I vvould be friends vvith you, and haue your loue, / Forget the ſhames that you haue ſtain'd me vvith, […]