tumult

[ too-muhlt, tyoo- ]

/ ˈtu məlt, ˈtyu- /

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noun

violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar: The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech.

a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or other disorder: The tumult moved toward the embassy.

highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance: His placid facade failed to conceal the tumult of his mind.

Nearby words

Origin of tumult

1375–1425; late Middle English tumult(e) < Latin tumultus an uproar, akin to tumēre to swell

SYNONYMS FOR tumult

1. disorder, turbulence. 2. revolt, revolution, mutiny. 3. excitement, perturbation.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tumult ON THESAURUS.COM

Synonym study

1. See ado.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tumult

The tumult was such that young Sarah had cause to worry that she might not get even a glimpse of Will and Kate.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill|Michael Daly|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jordan also became famous off the court, both for his gambling and for tumult in his personal life.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits of a New Michael Jordan Biography|William O’Connor|May 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was, however, also caught up in the tumult of his ailing marriage to Ava Gardner.
The Week in Death: George Jacobs, Sinatra’s Domestic Confidant|The Telegraph|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That period included the tumult of the U.S. leaving the gold standard, the oil shock, and the rise of inflation.
Larry Summers’s Connection to Wall Street Should Surprise No One|Daniel Gross|September 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Then, he ducked out the side door to avoid the very kind of tumult he had just said he honored and felt was so necessary.
Weiner’s Desperate Rockaway Trip|Michael Daly|August 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When he tired of the tumult of the bar-room and a sense of his better self came over him, some one said: "Give us another, Tom."
Wit, Humor, Reason, Rhetoric, Prose, Poetry and Story Woven into Eight Popular Lectures|George W. Bain
"Then I'll go on," and he glanced at Julie, who sat still, controlling her expression of face but with tumult in her heart.
The Come Back|Carolyn Wells
Seldom has a theological topic caused such a blaze of tumult.
History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology|John F. Hurst
Yet in the tumult several details, which had rather puzzled Anthony Fry, grew painfully clear.
In And Out|Edgar Franklin
On the third day after the tumult, Genseric boldly advanced from the port of Ostia to the gates of the defenceless city.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon

British Dictionary definitions for tumult

tumult

/ (ˈtjuːmʌlt) /

noun

a loud confused noise, as of a crowd; commotion

violent agitation or disturbance

great emotional or mental agitation

Word Origin for tumult

C15: from Latin tumultus, from tumēre to swell up

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tumult