tumultuous

adjective

tu·mul·tu·ous tu̇-ˈməl-chə-wəs

tyu̇-,

tə-,

-chəs;

-ˈməlch-wəs

Synonyms of tumultuous

: marked by tumult : loud, excited, and emotional

tumultuous applause

: tending or disposed to cause or incite a tumult

… the laws … were violated by a tumultuous faction …—Edward Gibbon

: marked by violent or overwhelming turbulence or upheaval

tumultuous passions

tumultuously adverb

tumultuousness noun

Examples of tumultuous in a Sentence

For someone with such a tumultuous inner world, the muscular choice-is-all school of moral philosophy could not be satisfactory. —Martha C. Nussbaum, New Republic, 31 Dec. 2001

The tumultuous sensual undercurrent of the Orient had, like water in the desert, gone underground and though perhaps it bubbled up behind courtyard walls, in public places it kept out of sight. —Leila Hadley, Give Me the World, (1958) 1999

The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. —J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999

We were not accustomed to loran, and to pick up a buoy, as I now did with my binoculars, after thirty days of tumultuous seas, at precisely the time and angle that our charted position led us to anticipate, struck me as nothing short of miraculous. —Louis Auchincloss, "Atlantic War," in Authors at Sea, Robert Shenk, ed., 1997

The returning astronauts were given a tumultuous welcome. The room filled with tumultuous applause.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But the journey to stabilize the district’s finances and keep Oakland Unified from returning to state control has been a lengthy, tumultuous process. — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 The trailer then delves into the history of Rushdie’s tumultuous career, reflecting on the controversy that came after the publication of The Satanic Verses in 1989 and sent him into hiding for a decade. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Junior Shea Simpson couldn't be happier to be back on the field for practice after an emotionally tumultuous last few months. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Have these tumultuous real-world consequences unnerved Roberts? — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tumultuous

Word History

Etymology

see tumult

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of tumultuous was in 1548

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

tumultuation

tumultuous

tumultuously

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Tumultuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumultuous. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tumultuous

adjective

tu·mul·tu·ous t(y)u̇-ˈməlch-(ə-)wəs

-ˈməl-chəs

: being or suggesting a tumult

a tumultuous welcome for the astronauts

tumultuously adverb

tumultuous

adjective

Synonyms of tumultuous

Examples of tumultuous in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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