tumult
Americannoun
-
violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar.
The tumult reached its height during the premier's speech.
- Synonyms:
- turbulence, disorder
-
a general outbreak, riot, uprising, or other disorder.
The tumult moved toward the embassy.
- Synonyms:
- mutiny, revolution, revolt
-
highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance.
His placid facade failed to conceal the tumult of his mind.
- Synonyms:
- perturbation, excitement
noun
-
a loud confused noise, as of a crowd; commotion
-
violent agitation or disturbance
-
great emotional or mental agitation
Related Words
See ado.
Etymology
Origin of tumult
1375–1425; late Middle English tumult ( e ) < Latin tumultus an uproar, akin to tumēre to swell
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While recent tumult has left the S&P 500 largely unchanged in 2026, extreme selling has taken hold under the surface, hitting major software and financial stocks.
From MarketWatch
Volatility in the U.S. bond market is picking up this month, with some investors questioning whether Treasurys can broadly — and reliably — provide a safe haven in times of tumult.
From MarketWatch
Treasury market for safety during this latest round of tariff tumult, which appears to be keeping a floor under the stock market.
From MarketWatch
In the popular overture, elicitation of tumult concludes, with startling exhilaration, in the kind of grand Beethovenian triumph that never fails to excite.
From Los Angeles Times
As scary as April’s Liberation Day stock swoon was, some Americans took advantage of the tumult to boost their gains in what turned out to eventually be a good year for the S&P 500.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
