tumultuous
adj.adj. loud, confused, and full of strong emotions or change. You use this to describe a time or situation that is very messy and not peaceful.
adj. characterised by disorder, confusion, or loud, excited activity. Often describes historical periods, personal relationships, or physical environments marked by upheaval.
The crowd gave the speaker a tumultuous welcome.
After a tumultuous decade of political change, the country finally held its first peaceful elections.
The explorer's journals provide a vivid account of his tumultuous journey across the Atlantic, detailing both the violent storms and the internal conflicts among his weary crew.
From Old French tumultuous (modern French tumultueux), from Latin tumultuōsus (“restless, turbulent”), from tumultus (“disturbance, uproar, violent commotion, tumult; agitation, disturbance, excitement”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used to modify abstract nouns like 'period', 'relationship', or 'history'.
Last updated May 9, 2026