This idiom describes someone who looks extremely angry, stern, or displeased, with a facial expression as dark and ominous as a thundercloud. It conveys intense emotion, often signaling an impending outburst or disapproval, and is used in social, familial, or professional contexts to highlight visible rage or discontent. The phrase carries a vivid, dramatic tone, reflecting the cultural association of storms with power and menace, and is often used to warn others of someone’s mood or to describe a tense atmosphere.

The phrase likely emerged in 19th-century Britain, tied to the poetic imagery of storms as symbols of anger, common in Romantic literature. An early use appears in an 1843 *Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine* article: ‘His face was like thunder.’ The idiom gained traction in Victorian England, reflecting a fascination with expressive metaphors, as seen in Charles Dickens’ *Little Dorrit* (1857). Its use grew in British and American English during the 20th century, particularly in domestic and workplace settings, where it described authoritative or intimidating figures. The phrase’s evocative imagery and emotional resonance ensured its spread across English-speaking cultures, especially in dramatic or narrative contexts.