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turmoil

American  
[tur-moil] / ˈtɜr mɔɪl /

noun

  1. a state of great commotion, confusion, or disturbance; tumult; agitation; disquiet.

    mental turmoil caused by difficult decisions.
    Synonyms:
    uproar, disorder, turbulence
    Antonyms:
    quiet, order

  2. Obsolete. hard labor; toil.

turmoil British  
/ ˈtɜːmɔɪl /

noun

  1. violent or confused movement; agitation; tumult

"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

verb

  1. archaic to make or become turbulent

"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

Related Words

See agitation.

Etymology

Origin of turmoil

First recorded in 1520–30; originally as verb: “to agitate”; etymology uncertain; perhaps tur(n) + moil

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.