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
Sgarbossa makes sure to refer to the man himself, Pierre Balmain, and his resilience to adversities during tumultuous times, able to uplift women through fashion.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
It’s been a tumultuous week for Israel’s film industry.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Anderson sets up their tumultuous familyhood and the film jumps off after everything changes over the time span of the 16 years.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
In interviews, in her 2023 memoir Down the Drain (a New York Times bestseller) and on social media, she’s been open about everything from her tumultuous childhood, struggles with addiction, past plastic surgery procedures and identifying as pansexual.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
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Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
It’s been a tumultuous week for Israel’s film industry.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Anderson sets up their tumultuous familyhood and the film jumps off after everything changes over the time span of the 16 years.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
In interviews, in her 2023 memoir Down the Drain (a New York Times bestseller) and on social media, she’s been open about everything from her tumultuous childhood, struggles with addiction, past plastic surgery procedures and identifying as pansexual.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumultuous
Cite this Entry
“Tumultuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tumultuous. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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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