vociferous

adjective

vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsi-f(ə-)rəs 

: marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry

vociferously adverb

vociferousness noun

Did you know?

Hear ye! Hear ye! To vociferate is to cry out loudly and insistently. Those who vociferate qualify as vociferous, especially when they loudly or insistently show their support for or displeasure in something by hootin' and hollerin'. Both vociferate and vociferous come from the Latin verb vociferari, a combining of vox, meaning "voice," with ferre, meaning "to carry." In addition to describing loud and insistent individuals and groups—critics, crowds, fans, et al.—vociferous can be used for anything characterized by loud insistence, as in "vociferous complaints," "a vociferous defense," and "vociferous support."

Synonyms

• outspoken
• vocal
• blatant
• noisy

Choose the Right Synonym for vociferous

vociferous, clamorous, blatant, strident, boisterous, obstreperous mean so loud or insistent as to compel attention.

vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.

vociferous cries of protest and outrage

clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.

clamorous demands for prison reforms

blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.

blatant rock music

a blatant clamor for impeachment

strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.

heard the strident cry of the crow

boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.

a boisterous crowd of party goers

obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.

the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested

Examples of vociferous in a Sentence

He is her most vociferous critic.

He was vociferous in his support of the proposal.

The decision was made over their vociferous objections.

Recent Examples on the Web

That Maestro screening featured the vociferous participation of Leonard Bernstein’s surviving family members, as well as Cooper himself watching silently from the audience (the strike prevented him from doing more), a perfect companion to Cooper’s alternately reverent and over-the-top biopic. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

The chants continued with four minutes left in the fourth quarter with Tulsa leading 19-12, and the vociferous crowd was heard on the ESPN broadcast. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Expect green groups and politicians to mount vociferous opposition shortly. —Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

The decision, issued by Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, spares Google a corporate breakup sought by its most vociferous critics. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vociferous

• auriferous
• calciferous
• coniferous
• pestiferous
• argentiferous
• carboniferous
• fossiliferous
• manganiferous
• metalliferous
• odoriferous
• seminiferous
• titaniferous

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Kids Definition

vociferous

adjective

vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsif-(ə-)rəs 

: making a loud outcry : noisy, clamorous

vociferously adverb