raved; raving
1
a
: to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
b
: to speak out wildly
c
: to talk with extreme enthusiasm
raved about its beauty
2
: to move or advance violently : storm
the iced gusts still rave and beat—
John Keats
John Keats
: to utter in madness or frenzy
1
: an act or instance of raving
2
: an extravagantly favorable criticism
the play received the critics' raves
3
: a large overnight dance party featuring techno music and usually involving the taking of mind-altering drugs
Synonyms
Examples of rave in a Sentence
Verb
“It's his best performance yet,” raved one movie critic.
The guy on the corner was raving like a madman.
The coach ranted and raved at the referee.
Noun
Her review of the movie was a rave.
the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for
Recent Examples on the WebBrenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Shoppers rave about the adjustable extension pole that takes it all the way to 51.18 inches long, as well as the clip-on feature that conveniently holds the broom and dustpan together to save you precious storage space.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2024
Defensive line coach Jason Taylor has repeatedly raved about Kelly.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Check out some Apple Podcasts fan reviews to see why so many listeners are leaving raving 5-star ratings—and get ready to dive into the Wondery world of business.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
TikTokers rave about Palmer’s skin therapy oil, which comes in a dropper and is meant for face moisturizing, as well as Palmer’s solid cocoa butter, which can be applied anywhere on the entire body and face.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
And so far their mission has been a raving success.
—Luke Knapp, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
At the late, lamented Toronado tavern, I was buttonholed by a stranger raving about Cellarmaker’s beers.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Reviewers rave about the thick stem and flawless design.
—Leonora Epstein, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Following suit this year are a handful of festivals, sound baths, and other musical events, including an Arkansas indie extravaganza in Hot Springs National Park, an interstellar rave in rural Texas, and a Vampire Weekend show in Austin with complimentary eclipse glasses.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
The neon products in the spring fling line may well appeal to spring break beach-goers, as the aesthetic definitely gives Barbie at a Miami rave vibes.
—USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
Many rave in their reviews about the containers’ usefulness for storing leftovers, prepping weekly meals, and taking snacks to-go.
—Rachel Simon, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The movie earned raves and more than $75 million at the box office.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Uber-athletic filmmaker David Leitch’s redo of that kitschy ‘80s series starring Lee Majors as a stuntman/bounty hunter earned raves in its South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) premiere earlier this month.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
But there was a rival festival going on in Florida that might’ve dwindled the pool, plus the desert rave probably sucked some of the audience away.
—Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024
Occasionally, someone will sit down and play an Israeli pop song at a piano donated by relatives of Alon Ohel, 22, a musician who was kidnapped from the rave, and the crowd sings along.
—Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
And Smokey was ranting and raving about how great the show was.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Shoppers rave about the adjustable extension pole that takes it all the way to 51.18 inches long, as well as the clip-on feature that conveniently holds the broom and dustpan together to save you precious storage space.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2024
Defensive line coach Jason Taylor has repeatedly raved about Kelly.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Check out some Apple Podcasts fan reviews to see why so many listeners are leaving raving 5-star ratings—and get ready to dive into the Wondery world of business.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
TikTokers rave about Palmer’s skin therapy oil, which comes in a dropper and is meant for face moisturizing, as well as Palmer’s solid cocoa butter, which can be applied anywhere on the entire body and face.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 5 Apr. 2024
And so far their mission has been a raving success.
—Luke Knapp, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
At the late, lamented Toronado tavern, I was buttonholed by a stranger raving about Cellarmaker’s beers.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Reviewers rave about the thick stem and flawless design.
—Leonora Epstein, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
When Kelly is attacked during an outdoor rave, both groups of teens, along with their parents, give equal cause for suspicion.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Following suit this year are a handful of festivals, sound baths, and other musical events, including an Arkansas indie extravaganza in Hot Springs National Park, an interstellar rave in rural Texas, and a Vampire Weekend show in Austin with complimentary eclipse glasses.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2024
The neon products in the spring fling line may well appeal to spring break beach-goers, as the aesthetic definitely gives Barbie at a Miami rave vibes.
—USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
Many rave in their reviews about the containers’ usefulness for storing leftovers, prepping weekly meals, and taking snacks to-go.
—Rachel Simon, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The movie earned raves and more than $75 million at the box office.
—Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Uber-athletic filmmaker David Leitch’s redo of that kitschy ‘80s series starring Lee Majors as a stuntman/bounty hunter earned raves in its South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) premiere earlier this month.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
But there was a rival festival going on in Florida that might’ve dwindled the pool, plus the desert rave probably sucked some of the audience away.
—Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024
Occasionally, someone will sit down and play an Israeli pop song at a piano donated by relatives of Alon Ohel, 22, a musician who was kidnapped from the rave, and the crowd sings along.
—Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of rave was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing rave
Articles Related to rave
Dictionary Entries Near rave
Cite this Entry
“Rave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rave. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
rave
1 of 2 verb
raved; raving
1
: to talk wildly as if crazy
2
: to talk with great enthusiasm
raved about the new play
raver
noun
rave
2 of 2 noun
: a statement of enthusiastic praise
More from Merriam-Webster on rave
Nglish: Translation of rave for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rave for Arabic Speakers
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