turbulent
Full of conflict, disorder, or change
Having a lot of trouble, change, or fighting; not calm or peaceful.
a turbulent [time/period/relationship/phase]
- The company survived a turbulent year of lawsuits and leadership changes.
- They had a turbulent relationship that swung between intense love and bitter arguments.
- 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.
- The country is going through a turbulent time with many protests.
- She had a turbulent childhood with many family problems.
- 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.
Moving violently and irregularly
Of air or water: moving in a strong, rough, and uneven way.
turbulent [air/water/sea/flight]
- The plane hit turbulent air and began to shake violently.
- We sailed through turbulent seas all night and barely slept.
- 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.
- The airplane moved up and down in the turbulent air.
- Small boats stayed in the harbor because the sea was turbulent.
- 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.
Chaotic fluid flow (technical)
In science, describing water or air that moves in a very mixed, irregular way, not in smooth layers.
turbulent [flow/boundary layer/regime]
- At high Reynolds numbers, the flow becomes fully turbulent.
- Engineers must account for turbulent boundary layers when designing airplane wings.
- The model includes both laminar and turbulent mixing processes in the atmosphere.
- In this experiment, the water changes from laminar to turbulent flow.
- Turbulent flow creates a lot of mixing in the river.
- The engineer studied how turbulent air moves around the car.
- Base: turbulent
turbulent air
1Air moving in a bumpy way
Air that moves in a rough, uneven way and makes a plane shake.
- 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
1Childhood with conflict and instability
A childhood with many problems, such as fights, moves, or changes in family members.
- 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
1Chaotic type of fluid flow
In science, a way that water or air moves with many small, fast, irregular movements.
- 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
1Past full of conflict and change
A past time with many wars, crises, or big changes.
- 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
1Unstable, rapidly changing market
A financial market where prices go up and down quickly and are hard to predict.
- Investors are looking for safe assets in the turbulent market.
- The company managed to grow profits even in a turbulent market.
turbulent relationship
1Relationship with many conflicts
A romantic or close relationship with many big arguments, changes, and strong feelings.
- They had a turbulent relationship that lasted for ten years.
- After years of a turbulent relationship, they finally decided to separate.
turbulent times
1A period full of trouble and change
A time when many things are going wrong or changing quickly, often with conflict or fear.
- The news media play an important role in these turbulent times.
- People often look for strong leaders in turbulent times.
turbulent water
1Water moving strongly and roughly
Water that moves fast and roughly, with many waves and circles.
- 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.