turbulent
gb/tˈɚbjələnt/ us/tˈɚbjələnt/
B2
English
~ 9100
viharos, zaklatott, turbulens, háborgó
C1
1
Usage pattern:
a turbulent [time/period/relationship/phase]
The company survived a turbulent year of lawsuits and leadership changes.
A cég túlélte a perek és vezetőváltások miatti viharos évet.
They had a turbulent relationship that swung between intense love and bitter arguments.
Viharos kapcsolatuk volt, amely a heves szerelem és a keserű veszekedések között ingadozott.
The region has a turbulent political history marked by coups and revolutions.
Growing up in a turbulent household left her anxious and quick to react.
Investors are nervous about the turbulent markets and constant price swings.
Learner examples
The country is going through a turbulent time with many protests.
Az ország sok tüntetéssel járó viharos időszakon megy keresztül.
She had a turbulent childhood with many family problems.
Zaklatott gyermekkora volt, sok családi problémával.
Their marriage was turbulent, with many big fights.
It was a turbulent year for the small business.
The city's turbulent history still affects life today.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "turbulent" is only used for air on an airplane. In fact, it is very common for periods of time, relationships, and history (e.g. "turbulent times", "turbulent relationship"). Another mistake is to use it directly for a person ("a turbulent man"), which sounds unusual in modern English; it is better to say "a turbulent personality" or describe the person's life or behavior as turbulent.
Meaning
Full of conflict, disorder, or change
Collocations
turbulent times
|turbulent relationship
|turbulent history
|turbulent period
|turbulent market
|turbulent childhood
Synonyms
chaotic (Emphasizes complete lack of order; slightly stronger and often more dramatic than "turbulent.")
|
stormy (Often used for relationships and periods in life; adds a sense of emotional intensity.)
|
unstable (More technical or neutral; focuses on lack of stability rather than open conflict.)
|
volatile (Suggests that things can suddenly change or get worse, especially markets or political situations.)
Antonyms
calm (Describes situations or periods without noise, conflict, or strong emotion.)
|
peaceful (Highlights the absence of conflict or violence, especially in relationships or societies.)
|
stable (Focuses on being steady and not changing suddenly, especially in politics, economies, or personal life.)
|
orderly (Emphasizes that events are well-organized and controlled, the opposite of disorderly and turbulent.)
Themes
society
|emotions
|politics
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
Definition
Having a lot of trouble, change, or fighting; not calm or peaceful.
Characterized by confusion, conflict, or sudden change; not calm, peaceful, or stable.
B2
2
Usage pattern:
turbulent [air/water/sea/flight]
The plane hit turbulent air and began to shake violently.
A repülőgép turbulens levegőbe került, és hevesen rázkódni kezdett.
We sailed through turbulent seas all night and barely slept.
Egész éjjel háborgó tengeren hajóztunk, és alig aludtunk.
The river becomes turbulent as it rushes through the narrow gorge.
Divers avoided the turbulent water near the rocks.
The pilot warned us that the flight might be turbulent during descent.
Learner examples
The airplane moved up and down in the turbulent air.
A repülőgép fel-le mozgott a turbulens levegőben.
Small boats stayed in the harbor because the sea was turbulent.
A kis csónakok a kikötőben maradtak, mert a tenger háborgott.
He was afraid to swim in the turbulent water near the waterfall.
The flight was turbulent, and many passengers felt sick.
The river is calm here but becomes turbulent after the bridge.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "the airplane is turbulence" instead of "the flight is turbulent" or "there was turbulence during the flight." "Turbulent" is an adjective that describes the air, sea, water, or the flight, not a noun.
Meaning
Moving violently and irregularly
Collocations
turbulent air
|turbulent water
|turbulent sea
|turbulent river
|turbulent flight
|turbulent conditions
Synonyms
rough (Very common for sea and flights; slightly more general and informal than "turbulent.")
|
choppy (Mostly used for water with many small, sharp waves; less strong than "turbulent.")
|
stormy (Suggests bad weather with strong wind and rain, not just irregular movement.)
Antonyms
smooth (Stresses the lack of bumps or irregular movement, especially for flights and travel.)
|
calm (Commonly used for air and water that are still or gently moving.)
|
still (Emphasizes no movement at all, especially in water.)
Themes
travel
|nature
|science
|weather
Definition
Of air or water: moving in a strong, rough, and uneven way.
Of air or water: moving strongly and irregularly, causing shaking, roughness, or swirling motion.
C2
TECHNICAL
3
turbulens
C1
Usage pattern:
turbulent [flow/boundary layer/regime]
At high Reynolds numbers, the flow becomes fully turbulent.
Nagy Reynolds-számnál az áramlás teljesen turbulenssé válik.
Engineers must account for turbulent boundary layers when designing airplane wings.
A mérnököknek számolniuk kell a turbulens határrétegekkel a repülőgépszárnyak tervezésekor.
The model includes both laminar and turbulent mixing processes in the atmosphere.
Learner examples
In this experiment, the water changes from laminar to turbulent flow.
Ebben a kísérletben a víz lamináris áramlásból turbulens áramlásba megy át.
Turbulent flow creates a lot of mixing in the river.
A turbulens áramlás sok keveredést hoz létre a folyóban.
The engineer studied how turbulent air moves around the car.
Meaning
Chaotic fluid flow (technical)
Collocations
turbulent flow
|turbulent regime
|turbulent boundary layer
|turbulent mixing
Synonyms
chaotic (A general term for irregular, hard-to-predict motion; less precise than the technical meaning of "turbulent.")
Antonyms
laminar (The standard technical opposite in fluid mechanics, describing smooth, layered flow.)
Themes
science
|engineering
Definition
In science, describing water or air that moves in a very mixed, irregular way, not in smooth layers.
In fluid dynamics, describing flow in which velocity and pressure change irregularly in space and time, with eddies and mixing, as opposed to smooth laminar flow.
Grammar
Dictionary form
turbulent
IPA
GB/tˈɚbjələnt/
US/tˈɚbjələnt/
Syllables & stress
tur - bu - lent (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tur)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: turbulent
Word family
Core family
turbulence
noun B2
Related words
turbulently
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
calm
adjective A2
Advanced or less common
turbid
adjective
turbidity
noun
Expressions
turbulent air
1/tˈɚbjələnt ˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
Air moving in a bumpy way
Air that moves in a rough, uneven way and makes a plane shake.
Examples
- The pilot told us we would be flying through turbulent air for the next twenty minutes.
- Turbulent air over the mountains caused delays and minor injuries on several flights.
turbulent childhood
1/tˈɚbjələnt t͡ʃˈaɪldhˌʊd/
fixed phrase
Childhood with conflict and instability
A childhood with many problems, such as fights, moves, or changes in family members.
Examples
- His turbulent childhood left him wary of trusting other people.
- She wrote a book about her turbulent childhood and how she overcame it.
turbulent flow
1/tˈɚbjələnt flˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
technical
Chaotic type of fluid flow
In science, a way that water or air moves with many small, fast, irregular movements.
Examples
- The experiment shows the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the pipe.
- Designers must consider turbulent flow when calculating drag on the vehicle.
turbulent history
1/tˈɚbjələnt hˈɪstɚi/
fixed phrase
Past full of conflict and change
A past time with many wars, crises, or big changes.
Examples
- The country has a turbulent history of invasions and civil wars.
- Given their turbulent history, the two nations are cautious about the new agreement.
turbulent market
1/tˈɚbjələnt mˈɑɹkɪt/
fixed phrase
Unstable, rapidly changing market
A financial market where prices go up and down quickly and are hard to predict.
Examples
- Investors are looking for safe assets in the turbulent market.
- The company managed to grow profits even in a turbulent market.
turbulent relationship
1/tˈɚbjələnt ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
Relationship with many conflicts
A romantic or close relationship with many big arguments, changes, and strong feelings.
Examples
- They had a turbulent relationship that lasted for ten years.
- After years of a turbulent relationship, they finally decided to separate.
turbulent times
1/tˈɚbjələnt tˈaɪmz/
fixed phrase
A period full of trouble and change
A time when many things are going wrong or changing quickly, often with conflict or fear.
Examples
- The news media play an important role in these turbulent times.
- People often look for strong leaders in turbulent times.
turbulent water
1/tˈɚbjələnt wˈɔtɚ/
fixed phrase
Water moving strongly and roughly
Water that moves fast and roughly, with many waves and circles.
Examples
- Rescuers warned swimmers to stay away from the turbulent water near the rocks.
- The boat struggled to stay upright in the turbulent water below the dam.