tumultuous

1 marked by sudden or violent disturbance <one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of the region> Synonyms cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), stormy, tempestuous, convulsive, turbulentRelated Words fitful, spasmodic, sporadic; boisterous, clamorous, furious, noisy, riotousNear Antonyms calm, peaceful, placid, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, unshaken, untroubled

2 marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements <watched the tumultuous weather from the dry safety of our house> Synonyms rough, rugged, stormy, tempestuous, wild, turbulentRelated Words blustering, blustery, raging, violent; brutal, harsh, severe; roily, unquiet, unsettled; bleak, inclement, nasty, raw, squallyNear Antonyms calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil; bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded

3 marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity <after a tumultuous day of trading, the stock market was down 500 points> Synonyms bang-bang, blood-and-guts, convulsive, cyclonic, explosive, ferocious, fierce, furious, hammer-and-tongs, hot, knock-down, drag-out (or knock-down-and-drag-out), paroxysmal, rabid, rough, stormy, tempestuous, violent, turbulent, volcanicRelated Words barbarous, brutal, savage, vicious; antagonistic, hostile; aggressive, assertive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, gladiatorial, pugnacious, quarrelsome, truculent; combustible, volatile; agitated, frantic, frenzied, mad; cataclysmal (or cataclysmic), destructive, ruinousNear Antonyms calm, halcyon, pacific, serene, tranquil; nonbelligerent, unaggressiveAntonyms nonviolent, peaceable, peaceful