Tumult Meaning
/ˈtjuː.mʌlt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounConfused, agitated noise as made by a crowd.
nounA violent commotion or agitation, often with a confusion of sounds.
Sentence Examples
They made a great tumult last night.
What has caused this tumult?
CEFR Practice Quiz
The crowd caused a great ____ when the referee made a bad call.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden announcement caused a great ____ among the crowd as everyone started shouting and asking many questions at once today.
Word Origin & History
From Old French tumulte, from Latin tumultus (“noise, tumult”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Till in loud tumult all the Greeks arose."
— 1725, Homer, “Book III”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
"This is what I wanted my story 'Snapshot' to sound like — a very cold surface, with heat and passion beneath. The icy surface is going to break and you're totally engulfed in the tumult."
— 1990 December 9, Walta Borawski, quoting Allen Barnett, “'Unfortunately, Life Has Followed Art...'”, in Gay Community News, volume 18, number 21, page 7:
"Football is a game of tumult and glory, of small disappointments and lingering dreams, and Mata has played long enough at the highest level to appreciate these truths."
— 2018 January 1, Donald McRae, “The Guardian footballer of the year 2017: Juan Mata”, in the Guardian:
"Importuning and tumulting even to the fear of a revolt."
— 1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: […], London: […] T[homas] P[aine] and M[atthew] S[immons] […], →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The crowd caused a great ____ when the referee made a bad call.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The sudden announcement caused a great ____ among the crowd as everyone started shouting and asking many questions at once today.