Standard Lemma guide

turmoil

noun · verb · 7 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.

  • UK: /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T ER1 M OY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A state of great disorder or uncertainty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Harassing labor; trouble; disturbance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To be disquieted or confused; to be in commotion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To harass with commotion; to disquiet; to worry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

disturbance usually in protest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: agitation, excitement, upheaval, hullabaloo

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disturbance

6

noun

Meaning 6

violent agitation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tumult

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: agitation

7

noun

Meaning 7

a violent disturbance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the convulsions of the stock market

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: convulsion, upheaval

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disturbance, disruption, commotion, flutter, hurly burly, to-do, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, kerfuffle

History

Etymology

Unknown. First appears c. 1526. Perhaps from Old French tremouille (“the hopper of a mill”).

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَعْمَعَة (maʕmaʕa) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Bulgarian: смут (smut) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Bulgarian: бъркотия (bǎrkotija) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Burmese: အရှုပ်အထွေး (a.hrup-a.htwe:) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Chinese Mandarin: 騷亂 /骚乱 (sāoluàn) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Finnish: myllerrys — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Finnish: sekasorto — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Finnish: kaaos — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • French: chaos — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • French: désordre — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • French: tourmente — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • French: tumulte — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Georgian: ქაოსი (kaosi) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Georgian: შფოთი (špoti) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Georgian: ალიაქოთი (aliakoti) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Georgian: ღელვა (ɣelva) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • German: Aufruhr — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • German: Tumult — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • German: Unruhe — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • German: Unordnung — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Greek: αναταραχή (anatarachí) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Greek: οχλαγωγία (ochlagogía) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Greek: σάλος (sálos) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Greek: αναβρασμός (anavrasmós) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Greek: ταραχή (tarachí) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Irish: suaitheadh — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Italian: caos — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Italian: disordine — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Italian: scompiglio — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Japanese: 騒動 — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Japanese: 混乱 — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Kazakh: дүрбелең (dürbeleñ) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Kazakh: бүліншілік (bülınşılık) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Kazakh: лаң (lañ) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Khmer: ចលាចល (caʼlaacɑl) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Latin: turba — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Latin: tumultus — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Māori: akaaka — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Māori: hūkeri — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Persian: هرج و مرج (harj-o-marj) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Persian: آشوب (âšub) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Portuguese: desordem — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Portuguese: tumulto — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Portuguese: caos — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Romanian: haos — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Romanian: dezordine — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Romanian: incertitudine — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Romanian: tumult — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: смяте́ние (smjaténije) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: потрясе́ние (potrjasénije) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: беспоря́док (besporjádok) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: сумато́ха (sumatóxa) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: ха́ос (xáos) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: хао́с (xaós) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: сму́та (smúta) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Russian: бардак (bardak) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Spanish: desorden — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Spanish: turbulencia — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Spanish: dificultad — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Spanish: tumulto — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Spanish: julepe — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Ottoman Turkish: قارش (karış) — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
  • Vietnamese: sự náo động — a state of great disorder or uncertainty
Real reading context

turmoil in complete knowledge articles