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
The Miami Dolphins are 2-7 on the season, and there were rumors that big changes were incoming amid this tumultuous season.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Nicks and Buckingham would go on to have a tumultuous partnership following the release of Buckingham Nicks.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
And as the court weighs how much evidence jurors will see, Comey’s media strategy during the tumultuous end of the 2016 election season could become a more prominent issue during his upcoming trial, presently slated for the first full week in January.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
Dongdong is taking care of a mother who was once a formidable acting coach and now needs constant care, while Chunshu’s mom is only 16 years older than her daughter and is in the midst of a tumultuous love affair.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Nicks and Buckingham would go on to have a tumultuous partnership following the release of Buckingham Nicks.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
And as the court weighs how much evidence jurors will see, Comey’s media strategy during the tumultuous end of the 2016 election season could become a more prominent issue during his upcoming trial, presently slated for the first full week in January.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
Dongdong is taking care of a mother who was once a formidable acting coach and now needs constant care, while Chunshu’s mom is only 16 years older than her daughter and is in the midst of a tumultuous love affair.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 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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