tumult

noun

tu·​mult ˈtü-ˌməlt 

ˈtyü-

also ˈtə-

1

a

: disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and confusion of voices : commotion

b

: a turbulent uprising : riot

2

: hubbub, din

3

a

: violent agitation of mind or feelings

b

: a violent outburst

Synonyms of tumult

• commotion
• disturbance
• turmoil
• stir
• hurry
• fuss
• noise

Examples of tumult in a Sentence

We had to shout to be heard over the tumult.

The country was in tumult.

Her mind was in a tumult of emotions.

Recent Examples on the Web

And now, after 30 years of tumult and triumph, Bryan is trying on actual adulthood. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026

The tumult of the last two years has revealed that Europe took the benefits of that relationship for granted. — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

The wide world of Dancing With the Stars has been in tumult ever since judge Carrie Ann Inaba and pro Jenna Johnson engaged in a minor tiff over a particular move in Johnson’s week 5 choreography on Tuesday. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2026

Pedersen is a student of opera performance, and the novel is studded with terms of art, but its most apparent musical influence may be the high tragedy and melancholic tumult of that genre. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tumulte, from Anglo-French, from Latin tumultus; perhaps akin to Sanskrit tumula noisy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

tumult

noun

tu·​mult ˈt(y)ü-ˌməlt 

1

: uproar

a great tumult arose in the stands

2

: great confusion of mind