English → Latin
“thunder” in Latin
tonitrusthunderfulmenlightning that strikes or sets on fire; a thunderboltfragora breaking, shattering; a crash; an uproartonitruumthundercaelestiscelestial, of or in the heavens, heavenly; divine, of the gods; magnificent, preeminent, god-likesonōto sound, resound, make a sound or noise (and various sounds in-context); to sound, utter, speak, express, call; to cry tonōto thunder; to speak thunderously, make a loud, thundering noise; to resound like thunderintonōto thunder (make a thunderous noise)
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
thunder s.
tonitrus, -ūs (in the plur., also, tonitrua; but no where the sing. tonitrum; Vid: Ramshorn, § 30, 5): fulmen (flash of lightning with thunder; also, figuratively, verborum fulmina): fragor (a crash, peal; e.g., fragor caeli or coelestis). The thunder of artillery, *tormentorum fragores: thunder of eloquence, sonitus (☞ Cic., Att., 1, 14, 4): the thunder of the Vatican, fulmen pontificale (after Liv., 6, 39, fulmen dictatorium): to hurl the thunder of the Vatican at anybody, *fulmine pontificali aliquem percellere.
thunder v.
tonare: intonare (both impersonal, transitive or intransitive, PROP. or figuratively; tonare as intransitive, intonare as transitive, of a powerful speaker). It thunders incessantly, continuus caeli fragor est: to be afraid when it thunders, tonitrua expavescere: a thundering speech, oratio fulgurans ac tonans (after Quint., 2, 16, 19); verborum fulmina (Cic., Fam., 9, 21, 1).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for thunder?
- The usual Latin words for “thunder” are tonitrus, fulmen, fragor; also tonitruum, caelestis, sonō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.