WordGarden.iothundercloud
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /θˈʌndəklˌaʊd/
US
- /θˈʌndərklˌaʊd/
Meanings
Noun
a dark storm cloud that produces thunder and often lightning
a sign or atmosphere of approaching trouble, anger, or gloom
Beyond the definition
A thundercloud is not just an ordinary rain cloud. It is a tall, powerful cloud that brings a thunderstorm, often with heavy rain, strong wind, thunder, and lightning. You might see one growing on a hot summer afternoon as the sky turns darker and the air starts to feel tense.
The word is also used in a more figurative way. In stories or everyday speech, it can suggest trouble, fear, or anger that is building up. A writer might say someone's face looked like a thundercloud to show they were becoming upset.
A thundercloud, usually called a cumulonimbus cloud in weather science, is a large, tall cloud linked with thunderstorms. It can bring heavy rain, strong winds, hail, thunder, and lightning. These clouds form when warm, wet air rises quickly, then cools and turns into water droplets and ice high in the sky. As more air rises, the cloud grows higher and darker, sometimes becoming huge.
Inside a thundercloud, bits of water and ice move around very fast. This helps electrical charge build up. When the charge becomes strong enough, lightning flashes. The lightning heats the air around it very quickly, and that sudden heating creates the sound we hear as thunder.
The word is also common outside weather reports. In stories, conversation, and descriptive writing, it often suggests danger, tension, or strong emotion. A thundercloud may hang over a town before a storm, but it can also describe a bad mood, a sense of trouble ahead, or an atmosphere that feels heavy and uneasy. Because of that, the word works both as a real weather term and as a vivid image in language.
Examples
- 1
Weather observation
A huge thundercloud was building over the hills by late afternoon.
- 2
Outdoor plans
We packed up the picnic when we saw thunderclouds moving in from the west.
- 3
Figurative mood
A thundercloud seemed to hang over the meeting after the bad sales report.
- Patternhang over + situation
make it feel worried, tense, or unhappy
See also
Similar
- storm cloud
- cumulonimbus
- rain cloud
Shades of meaning
- towering cumulus
- black cloud
Contrast
- clear sky
- fair-weather cloud
Used with (collocations)
- dark thunderclouds
- thunderclouds gather
- thunderclouds roll in
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- thundercloudnoun
Forms
- thundercloudspluralnoun