Standard Lemma guide

turbulent

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈtɜːbjələnt/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈtɝbjələnt/
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈtɜːbjələnt/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈtøːbjələnt/
  • CMU ARPABET: T ER1 B Y AH0 L AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Violently disturbed or agitated; tempestuous, tumultuous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It is dangerous to sail in turbulent seas.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Being in, or causing, disturbance or unrest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The mid-19th century was a turbulent time in American history.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

(of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the river's roiling current
  • turbulent rapids

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: churning, roiling, roiled, roily

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • effects of the struggle will be violent and disruptive
  • riotous times
  • these troubled areas
  • the tumultuous years of his administration
  • a turbulent and unruly childhood

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disruptive, riotous, troubled, tumultuous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English turbulent, from Middle French turbulent, from Latin turbulentus, from turba (“disorder, tumult, crowd”).

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: խռովահույզ (xṙovahuyz) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Bulgarian: бурен (buren) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Bulgarian: развълнуван (razvǎlnuvan) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Danish: turbulent — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Finnish: turbulenttinen — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Finnish: myrskyisä — violently disturbed or agitated
  • French: mouvementé — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Galician: turbulento — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Ingrian: burnoi — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Latin: turbulentus — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Māori: tuarangaranga — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Norwegian Bokmål: turbulent — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: turbulent — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Persian: متلاطم (motalâtem) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Portuguese: turbulento — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Portuguese: atribulado — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Portuguese: agitado — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Romanian: turbulent — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Russian: бу́рный (búrnyj) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Russian: беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Spanish: tempestuoso — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Spanish: agitado — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Spanish: accidentado — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Spanish: turbulento — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Swedish: turbulent — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Ukrainian: бурхли́вий (burxlývyj) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Ukrainian: неспокі́йний (nespokíjnyj) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Ukrainian: турбуле́нтний (turbuléntnyj) — violently disturbed or agitated
  • Bulgarian: буен (buen) — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Bulgarian: необуздан (neobuzdan) — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Finnish: turbulentti — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Finnish: myllertävä — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Finnish: melskeinen — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Galician: turbulento — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Latin: turbulentus — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Norwegian Bokmål: turbulent — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: turbulent — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Portuguese: turbulento — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Portuguese: atribulado — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Portuguese: agitado — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Russian: беспоко́йный (bespokójnyj) — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Spanish: tempestuoso — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Spanish: agitado — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Spanish: accidentado — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Spanish: turbulento — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Swedish: turbulent — being in disturbance or unrest
  • Ukrainian: бурхли́вий (burxlývyj) — being in disturbance or unrest
Real reading context

turbulent in complete knowledge articles