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
Musk’s lawyer grilled Altman about accusations of dishonesty from OpenAI’s board members, his investments and his brief, tumultuous ousting as CEO in 2023.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Both sides, Levin said, want to avoid a repeat of a tumultuous 2025.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Set in the tumultuous 1880s American frontier, the series follows seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by mercenaries working for a ruthless land baron trying to seize their land.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2026
In the years after Dolman’s death, the comedian acknowledged that his children navigated a tumultuous time without their mother.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Both sides, Levin said, want to avoid a repeat of a tumultuous 2025.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Set in the tumultuous 1880s American frontier, the series follows seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by mercenaries working for a ruthless land baron trying to seize their land.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2026
In the years after Dolman’s death, the comedian acknowledged that his children navigated a tumultuous time without their mother.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 May 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 15 May. 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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