Tumultuous

/tuːˈmʌltʃuəs/

adjectivemedium📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

1

Marked by unrest, disturbance, or agitation; chaotic.

/tuːˈmʌltʃuəs/

adjectivenegativemedium
General

Characterized by disorder and confusion; full of noise or uproar.

The crowd's reaction was tumultuous after the unexpected goal.

💡 Simply: Imagine a rock concert where the crowd's screaming and jumping all over – that's tumultuous! It's like things are noisy and out of control.

👶 For kids: When things are super loud and messy, like a big playground with too many kids yelling, that's tumultuous!

More Examples

2

The tumultuous political climate made investors nervous.

3

After the scandal broke, his personal life became tumultuous.

How It's Used

Historical

"The tumultuous years following the French Revolution witnessed many changes."

Politics

"The election was followed by tumultuous protests."

Literature

"The tumultuous sea crashed against the shore."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

tumultuous applause

Enthusiastic and loud applause, indicating strong approval.

"The actor received tumultuous applause after his final performance."

From Latin *tumultuōsus*, meaning 'full of tumult', from *tumultus*, meaning 'uproar, commotion'.

Used since the late 16th century, the word often described political or social unrest, or strong emotional states.

Memory tip

Think of a *tumult* (uproar) and add *uous* to describe it – it’s a situation full of chaos and disturbance.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"uproar, commotion"

tumultuous applausetumultuous periodtumultuous relationshiptumultuous eventstumultuous times

Common misspellings

tumultoustumultuos

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written