What does tumult mean?
Word: Tumult
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Tumult means a state of great noise and confusion, often from a large crowd.
Synonyms: uproar, commotion
Antonyms: calm
Word origin: Comes from Latin tumultus.
How do you spell tumult?
Syllables: tu - mult
Tricky part: The second vowel is often written o or a because the stress falls on the first syllable. Both vowels in this word are u.
Watch out for: tumolt, tumalt
Memory tip: Two matching vowels, u and u, just as a crowd's noise keeps repeating itself.
Tumult in a sentence
Example 1: Nobody could hear the announcement above the tumult of the market.
Example 2: The tumult of the wedding band faded as we walked to the car.
Example 3: A tumult of cheering broke out when the results were read.
Fun Fact
Its adjective, tumultuous, is often paired with applause: a tumultuous welcome is one long, noisy roar from a delighted crowd.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) tummult
b) exult
c) consult
d) default
Show answer
a) tummult. A single m follows the first vowel.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
lumtut
a) a strong wind that comes without warning
b) a shallow bowl used for mixing paint
c) a wild scene of shouting and disorder
d) a narrow path between tall buildings
Show answer
c) a wild scene of shouting and disorder. These six letters rearrange into a noun for wild noise and disorder.
Spell Probe
Choose the meaning of the misspelt word in the sentence:
The tumult on the platform grew as the long-delayed train made its arrivel, and porters hurried forward with heavy trunks.
a) large noisy disorder among people
b) people employed to carry luggage
c) the act of coming to a place
d) a raised area beside a railway track
Show answer
c) the act of coming to a place. Arrival has an a before the l; tumult, platform and porters are spelt correctly.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
The tumult in the stadium grew louder as the batsman approached his century and the commentators struggled to be heard.
a) 0
b) 2
c) 3
d) 1
Show answer
a) 0. Every word here is spelt correctly, which does sometimes happen in the paper.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Where would you expect to find a tumult?
a) a classroom during a test
b) a street after a big cricket win
c) a library during the exams
d) a garden at early dawn
Show answer
b) a street after a big cricket win
2. When the tumult died down, the hall was ___.
a) much colder
b) freshly painted
c) quiet again
d) better lit
Show answer
c) quiet again
