commotion

[kuh-moh-shuhn]

noun

1. violent or tumultuous motion; agitation; noisy disturbance.

   What's all the commotion in the hallway?

   Synonyms: bustle, turbulence, riot, tumult, turmoil, disorder

2. political or social disturbance or upheaval; sedition; insurrection.

commotion

/ kəˈməʊʃən /

noun

1. violent disturbance; upheaval

2. political insurrection; disorder

3. a confused noise; din

Other Word Forms

• commotional adjective
• commotive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of commotion¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin commōtiōn-, stem of commōtiō, from commōt(us) “disturbed” (past participle of commovēre “to displace, disturb,” literally, “to move together”; commove ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of commotion¹

C15: from Latin commōtiō, from commovēre to throw into disorder, from com- (intensive) + movēre to _move

Idioms and Phrases

see cause a commotion.

Synonym Study

See ado.

Example Sentences

Actually, Harbaugh didn’t see the crash, but he heard the commotion.

From Los Angeles Times

Woken up by the commotion, the men told the women and children to stay inside while they went out to stop the gunmen.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s highly unusual that so many of them were grabbed without any commotion.”

From Los Angeles Times

With “Eddington,” Aster attempts to chronicle how we reached this moment, holding a speedometer to the commotion and tracking how quickly it all fell apart.

From Salon

"Don't touch me, man," said an irate Gordon amid the commotion before telling the dock officer to "shut up" when the judge and jury weren't in the room.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitation 
• annoyance 
• brouhaha 
• bustle 
• confusion 
• excitement 
• ferment 
• flap 
• furor 
• fuss 
• hubbub 
• outcry 
• pandemonium 
• rebellion 
• revolt 
• tumult 
• turbulence 
• upheaval