turbulence

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   Rough, irregular movement of air or water that makes a smooth flow impossible.

   Grammar: No plural: the plane hit some turbulence.

   Patterns

   • hit turbulence
   • turbulence in something

   The pilot warned us about turbulence over the mountains.

   Strong turbulence near the rocks made kayaking dangerous.

   The seatbelt sign came on as the plane met turbulence.

2. 2noununcountablefigurative

   A period of confusion, disorder, or upheaval in politics, business, or personal life.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively with of or in: a time of turbulence.

   Patterns

   • a period of turbulence
   • turbulence in something

   The company went through years of turbulence after the merger.

   Political turbulence made investors nervous.

   Teenage years can bring emotional turbulence.

Common combinations

severe turbulence

The flight ran into severe turbulence.

clear-air turbulence

Clear-air turbulence is hard for pilots to spot.

economic turbulence

Economic turbulence hurt many small shops.

a period of turbulence

It was a period of turbulence for the club.

cause turbulence

Wind over the hills can cause turbulence.

Synonyms and how they differ

upheaval

Upheaval is a sudden big disturbance in society or life, and not used for air or water.

unrest

Unrest usually describes public anger or discontent among people.

commotion

Commotion is a noisy, short-lived disturbance, whereas turbulence can last longer and be less loud.

chaos

Chaos means complete disorder, stronger than turbulence which suggests rough shifting.

Opposites

Word family

turbulent adjective

rough, unsettled, or stormy

turbulently adverb

in a rough, unsettled way

turbulency noun

an old variant of turbulence

Commonly confused: turbulence or turbidity? turbulence or turbine?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “turbulence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words