tumultuous
adjective
tu·mul·tu·ous
tu̇-ˈməl-chə-wəs 
tyu̇-,
tə-,
-chəs;
-ˈməlch-wəs
1
: marked by tumult : loud, excited, and emotional
tumultuous applause
2
: tending or disposed to cause or incite a tumult
the laws … were violated by a tumultuous faction—
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon3
: 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.
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
Matty Healy’s mom, the English actor and TV personality Denise Welch, barely tried to hold back when discussing her son’s brief, tumultuous relationship with Taylor Swift on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025
Nicks and Buckingham’s infamously tumultuous relationship, which began in the early 1970s, ended just two years into their tenure in Fleetwood Mac.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
The decision to restrict this year’s yields is a direct response to the tumultuous global economy.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 July 2025
Schmitt’s apparent about-face illustrated a broader, tumultuous moment for Republicans and allies of Trump both in Missouri and nationally.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025
Nicks and Buckingham’s infamously tumultuous relationship, which began in the early 1970s, ended just two years into their tenure in Fleetwood Mac.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
The decision to restrict this year’s yields is a direct response to the tumultuous global economy.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 24 July 2025
Schmitt’s apparent about-face illustrated a broader, tumultuous moment for Republicans and allies of Trump both in Missouri and nationally.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
Cite this Entry
“Tumultuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumultuous. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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