COMMOTION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does commotion mean? 

• COMMOTION (noun)
  The noun COMMOTION has 3 senses:

1. a disorderly outburst or tumult

2. the act of making a noisy disturbance

3. confused movement

  Familiarity information: COMMOTION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMMOTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disorderly outburst or tumult

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

commotion; disruption; disturbance; flutter; hoo-ha; hoo-hah; hurly burly; kerfuffle; to-do

Context example:

they were amazed by the furious disturbance they had caused

Hypernyms ("commotion" is a kind of...):

disorder (a disturbance of the peace or of public order)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commotion"):

convulsion; turmoil; upheaval (a violent disturbance)

earthquake (a disturbance that is extremely disruptive)

incident (a public disturbance)

splash; stir (a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event)

storm; tempest (a violent commotion or disturbance)

storm center; storm centre (a center of trouble or disturbance)

garboil; tumult; tumultuousness; uproar (a state of commotion and noise and confusion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of making a noisy disturbance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

commotion; din; ruckus; ruction; rumpus; tumult

Hypernyms ("commotion" is a kind of...):

disturbance (the act of disturbing something or someone; setting something in motion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "commotion"):

ado; bustle; flurry; fuss; hustle; stir (a rapid active commotion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Confused movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

commotion; whirl

Context example:

a commotion of people fought for the exits

Hypernyms ("commotion" is a kind of...):

motion; movement (a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something)

 Context examples 

While this went on, and Beauty Smith continued to kick White Fang, there was a commotion in the crowd.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Travel at this time would also be a good idea, so you may want to leave town to get a little distance from any commotion going on with a friend.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Professor Challenger threw up his hands to still the commotion, but the movement alarmed the creature beside him.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mr. Rochester turned mechanically to see what the commotion was: but as he saw nothing, he returned and sighed.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

These civil commotions were constantly fomented by the monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the exiles always fled for refuge to that empire.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

In a moment the decks were in commotion, Johansen bellowing orders and the men pulling or letting go ropes of various sorts—all naturally confusing to a landsman such as myself.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“Tom” was evidently the idol of her life; never to be shaken on his pedestal by any commotion; always to be believed in, and done homage to with the whole faith of her heart, come what might.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Your home will be a very busy place, so you may be hosting people over, for your home seems to be a hub of commotion.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The commotion caused the circle of eyes to shift restlessly for a moment and even to withdraw a bit, but it settled down again as the dogs became quiet.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

I had entreated him to keep quite clear of the house till everything was arranged: and, indeed, the bare idea of the commotion, at once sordid and trivial, going on within its walls sufficed to scare him to estrangement.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)