stormed

Stormed is the past tense of the verb storm, with several related meanings centered on rapid, forceful action. It most often describes an attack or assault on a defended position, as in military or security contexts, for example, the fort was stormed by the expeditionary force. It can also describe entering a place quickly and forcibly, such as the crowd stormed the gates, or leaving a place abruptly and angrily, as in she stormed out of the room. In broader usage, it can denote swift, intense activity or emotion, such as a crowd storming into a venue or laughter storming through a theater.

The verb derives from the noun storm, from Old English storm meaning tumult or violence; the verb sense to attack developed in Middle English, by which time the form stormed had become standard for past action.

Common collocations include storm into/onto, storm out, and storming. The term carries a range of connotations from neutral military description to dramatic or emotional emphasis, depending on context. It should be used with care when describing real events to avoid sensationalism; in historical or formal writing, it may be followed by a direct object for the target of the assault (fortress, city, gates) or by a prepositional phrase for the action (into the fortress).

See also storm (verb), storming, siege, assault.