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 tumultuous gubernatorial race in the Golden State has drawn more than 60 candidates, and the top of the field has seen significant upheaval as the race has gone on.
—Philip Wang, Time, 2 June 2026
The team, looking to turn the corner after a tumultuous 2024-25 season, viewed the former Los Angeles Kings blueliner — four years older than Miller — as someone who could bring reliable defense as a partner for the offensively dynamic Fox.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Her second time competing was on the heels of a tumultuous divorce that once again threatened her housing security, though organizations including Final Salute came to her aid.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 2 June 2026
While the bottom line has been more tumultuous since then, net interest income has continued to climb.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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Philip Wang, Time, 2 June 2026
The team, looking to turn the corner after a tumultuous 2024-25 season, viewed the former Los Angeles Kings blueliner — four years older than Miller — as someone who could bring reliable defense as a partner for the offensively dynamic Fox.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Her second time competing was on the heels of a tumultuous divorce that once again threatened her housing security, though organizations including Final Salute came to her aid.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 2 June 2026
While the bottom line has been more tumultuous since then, net interest income has continued to climb.
—Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
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 Jun. 2026.
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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