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
It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for Diggs.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
In this age of tumultuous politics, and getting further and further away from the days of deference, and the queen no longer being there, people are rapidly losing interest.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
After her divorce, Paul had a very tumultuous relationship with a man named Dakota Mortensen.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025
While there’s no doubt Musk has had a tumultuous year, his biggest assets have increased in value, as his investor fanbase—ranging from the Tesla stock enthusiasts to billionaire VCs and Middle East sovereign wealth funds—pours money into his companies.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
In this age of tumultuous politics, and getting further and further away from the days of deference, and the queen no longer being there, people are rapidly losing interest.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
After her divorce, Paul had a very tumultuous relationship with a man named Dakota Mortensen.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 10 Sep. 2025
While there’s no doubt Musk has had a tumultuous year, his biggest assets have increased in value, as his investor fanbase—ranging from the Tesla stock enthusiasts to billionaire VCs and Middle East sovereign wealth funds—pours money into his companies.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 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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