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Synonyms

tumult

American  
[too-muhlt, tyoo-] / ˈtu məlt, ˈtju- /

noun

  1. violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar.

    The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech.

    Synonyms:
    turbulence, disorder
  2. a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or other disorder.

    The tumult moved toward the embassy.

    Synonyms:
    mutiny, revolution, revolt
  3. highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance.

    His placid facade failed to conceal the tumult of his mind.

    Synonyms:
    perturbation, excitement

tumult British  
/ ˈtjuːmʌlt /

noun

  1. a loud confused noise, as of a crowd; commotion

  2. violent agitation or disturbance

  3. great emotional or mental agitation

"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

Synonym Usage

See ado.

Etymology

Origin of tumult

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

Explanation

If a principal steps into a classroom and is greeted by a tumult of voices, with the teacher shouting for his kids' attention, she will not be pleased. A tumult is a state of noisy confusion. Very often a crowd of people will cause a tumult. But your mind can also be in tumult, when you're confused and overwhelmed by strong emotions. If you want an adjective to describe these types of bewildering situations, use tumultuous. Tumult is from the Latin tumultus, "an uproar," which is related to the Latin verb tumēre, "to be excited."

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Vocabulary lists containing tumult

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The scope of the catastrophe quickly overwhelmed a country of 28 million battered by years of economic crisis and political tumult.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

Americans, who usually think the world revolves around economics, consistently misapprehend how revolutionaries embrace tumult.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The tumult in the top ranks of the company comes amid investor concern that Adobe isn’t prepared to compete or even survive in the AI era.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026

It survived colonial rule, a bloodied partition, the tumult of independence and Delhi's transformation into a sprawling megacity.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

As this tumult was beginning, I flew to South Africa for a goodwill visit that had been planned months in advance.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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