turbulent

adjective

ˈtər-byə-lənt How to pronounce turbulent (audio)
Definition of turbulentnext
1
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity the turbulent struggle for civil rights that shook up American society in the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rough
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements the turbulent rapids of the river were certainly daunting to those of us who were new to river rafting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
marked by wet and windy conditions expect turbulent weather as the cold front brings rain and sleet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in tumultuous
marked by sudden or violent disturbance these are turbulent, dangerous times in a region known for being a powder keg

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of turbulent Current City manager Enzo Maresca will have to try focus his plethora of star players – such as striker Erling Haaland – after what must have been a turbulent week for everyone involved at the club. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 The Democrat emerged from a crowded primary by pitching himself as a steady hand in turbulent times. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026 His elevation to chair came during an unusually turbulent period for CMS. — Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026 Calls for transparency After reading Kyker’s comments, people close to the church contacted the paper with information about Skaggs’ turbulent involvement with the congregation. — Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulent
  1. violent
  2. rough
  3. bleak
  4. tumultuous
  5. ferocious
  6. wild
  7. rainy
  8. sporadic
Adjective
  • France is currently in the throes of another political crisis, with violent student protests now stretching into their third week.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The protest was sparked by photos shared on the social media platform Snapchat showing violent messages threatening to rape and kill a female student.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • Lemmo With this kind of kit, the Lemmo 3 should be up to the task of tackling steep inclines and all manner of rough terrain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The controls and graphics are pretty rough on GameCube, though.
    — Verge Staff, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • Things looked bleak for Keller, but the Indians kept fighting.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In the exceedingly bleak ending to the book, Bela realizes that the demon has killed and styled itself after her Grandma Ruth, who lures Russell and Ursula to their death.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • The movie charts the evolution of OpenAI and dramatizes the tumultuous time when Altman was controversially fired and then rehired by the AI giant.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This is how Young has been through his tumultuous years in Carolina.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumultuous
Adjective
  • In the Atlantic, not a single hurricane has formed yet, a record for this late into hurricane season, due to ferocious wind shear brought on by El Niño.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • When the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, the natural instinct was to focus on the prodigious point production (57th all time), the volume rebounding (71st all time), the thunderous dunks and the ferocious forays to the basket.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • Rush’s musical complexity leaned towards proggy adventures with time signatures and song structure, while Steely Dan were more inclined to wedge wild stacks of jazz chords into pop songs.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Bears, wild pigs, mountain lions and coyotes were at the top of the list in California, according to the study.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • Several studies suggest El Niño’s effects on the region could be more severe in 2027, when the climate pattern may disrupt the rainforest’s next rainy season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Waits unfurls a sad story over the course of the song, dropping details about an unnamed woman in red shoes who’s standing by the newsstand outside a pharmacy on a cold, rainy night.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of rainy
Adjective
  • That said, devolving tropical storms can pack a punch with sporadic gusts and showers as the energy that was formerly bundled in the storm’s center releases outward.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There were sporadic film entries from the 1970s on, but most of Saint’s work during that era (and well into the 2000s) would be for television.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sporadic

Browse Nearby Words

turbulence
turbulent
turbulently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turbulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulent. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nexus

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All