Meanings
nounroaring forties pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlyclimatologyThe area of the earth between 40 and 50 degrees south, prone to gale-force westerly winds.
Its official demarcation is forty degrees south latitude. It includes the latitudes sailors long-ago nicknamed the roaring forties, the furious fifties, and the screaming sixties. It's an area of almost constant high wind and frequent gales, often exceeding hurricane strength.
1998, Derek Lundy, chapter 1, in Godforsaken Sea: Racing the World's Most Dangerous Waters, page 5
Translations
French quarantièmes rugissants
- quarantièmes rugissantsarea of the earth between 40 and 50 degrees south
Cite this entry
APA
roaring forties. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roaring%20forties
MLA
“roaring forties.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roaring%20forties. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “roaring forties,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/roaring%20forties.
Source: roaring forties on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.