Meaning & use
inner turmoil
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A state of severe mental or emotional confusion and distress happening inside a person.
Grammar: Uncountable; do not use 'an' or a plural. Often used with 'in': 'in inner turmoil'.
Patterns
- in inner turmoil
- experience inner turmoil
- cause inner turmoil
After the accident, she was in inner turmoil for months.
His calm face hid a deep inner turmoil.
The novel describes the inner turmoil of a soldier returning from war.
Common combinations
- be in inner turmoil
- He was in inner turmoil after receiving the job offer.
- experience inner turmoil
- Many teenagers experience inner turmoil as they try to find their identity.
- cause inner turmoil
- The decision caused him great inner turmoil.
- deep inner turmoil
- She struggled with deep inner turmoil before finally speaking out.
Synonyms and how they differ
- emotional conflict
- More neutral and often used in psychology; 'inner turmoil' suggests stronger distress.
- anguish
- Focuses on the pain itself rather than the confused struggle; 'inner turmoil' emphasizes the internal battle.
Opposites
Word family
- turmoil noun
- A state of great confusion or disorder, often used for situations as well as feelings.
Commonly confused: inner turmoil or internal conflict?
inner turmoil vs internal conflict
'Internal conflict' is often used for a struggle between opposing desires or values; 'inner turmoil' focuses more on the emotional distress itself.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'inner turmoil' correctly?
Choose one answer.
B is correct because 'inner turmoil' is uncountable and means emotional distress inside a person. An is wrong because 'turmoil' is uncountable, so 'an' is not used. C is wrong because the verb should be singular 'was'. D is wrong because 'turmoils' is not a standard plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inner turmoil”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.