tumultuous
Americanadjective
-
full of tumult or riotousness; marked by disturbance and uproar.
a tumultuous celebration.
- Synonyms:
- violent, turbulent, uproarious
-
raising a great clatter and commotion; disorderly or noisy.
a tumultuous crowd of students.
- Synonyms:
- boisterous
-
highly agitated, as the mind or emotions; distraught; turbulent.
- Synonyms:
- unquiet
adjective
-
uproarious, riotous, or turbulent
a tumultuous welcome
-
greatly agitated, confused, or disturbed
a tumultuous dream
-
making a loud or unruly disturbance
tumultuous insurgents
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tumultuous
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin tumultuōsus, from tumultu(s) tumult + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
The adjective tumultuous means disruptive, troubled, or disorderly — like the tumultuous state of an unruly classroom after the teacher has stepped out for a few minutes. You might hear the adjective tumultuous in news stories about riots because it's one of the best words to describe a group of people in turmoil or disorder, but it can mean anything in a state of unrest. For example, you might steer your boat into a safe harbor before a heavy storm, so the tumultuous waves won't sweep you onto the rocks.
Vocabulary lists containing tumultuous
The Great Gatsby
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List 7
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"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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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.
For this franchise, a tumultuous offseason has rolled into a turbulent regular season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Analysts led by Matthew Lofting gently characterized BP’s recent tumultuous history as “chequered” but said the company’s balance sheet improvement means the stock is “no longer a poison pill.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
"The world has been a bit tumultuous in the past little while," Canada's ambassador to the EU Jonathan Wilkinson told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Smart played Deborah Vance, a stand-up comedian whose tumultuous relationship with her young comedy writer, Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, was at the center of HBO Max’s comedy, which ended in May.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Then, amid tumultuous applause, out walked Gordie Howe, one of the legends of the game.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
