Example
“The empty office on Sunday was the calm before the storm of launch week.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
perfect storm
Neutral · CEFR C1
a rare combination of bad circumstances that produces a disaster
weather the storm
Neutral · CEFR B2
survive a difficult period without suffering lasting damage
bad news
Informal · CEFR A2
an unpleasant piece of information; (informal) a person or thing likely to cause trouble
keep your fingers crossed
Informal · CEFR A2
To hope strongly that something good will happen.
red flag
Neutral · CEFR B1
a warning sign that something is wrong
the writing on the wall
Neutral · CEFR B1
clear and unmistakable signs that failure or disaster is coming
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.