“Turbid” vs. “Turbulent”: What’s the Difference?

A line illustration of two people with their mouth open, and a giant question mark between them.

The difference between “turbid” and “turbulent”

  • Turbid refers primarily to the appearance of a liquid, while turbulent refers to the movement of a fluid.
  • Turbid water is often due to the presence of particles, while turbulent flow is caused by fluid dynamics.
  • Turbid can be measured with a device, while turbulence is a property of fluid motion that cannot be directly quantified.
Communicate naturally with Engram AI proofreader

What is the definition of “turbid” and “turbulent”?

Turbid
  • Turbid refers to a liquid that is cloudy or opaque due to the presence of suspended particles.
  • Turbid water may be the result of natural phenomena such as erosion or chemical pollution.
  • Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water, measured in nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs).
Turbulent
  • Turbulent refers to chaotic and unpredictable motion in a fluid, such as air or water.
  • Turbulent flow is characterized by irregular fluctuations in speed and pressure.
  • Examples of turbulent phenomena include storms, waves, and the wakes of moving objects.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Turbulent” is the more popular variant on the web.
Turbid
7,130,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The river became turbid after heavy rainfall.
  2. The doctor noted a turbid appearance in the patient's urine sample.
  3. The experiment resulted in a turbid mixture of chemicals.
More popular
Turbulent
102,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The turbulent winds made it impossible for the airplane to land.
  2. The company went through a turbulent period of financial instability.
  3. The storm caused turbulent waves that rocked the boat back and forth.
Want to express yourself confidently?
Engram AI proofreader helps you
communicate naturally
An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.

Related articles