rowdy

1 of 2

adjective

row·​dy ˈrau̇-dē 

rowdier; rowdiest

: coarse or boisterous in behavior : rough

also : characterized by such behavior

rowdy local bars

rowdily

ˈrau̇-də-lē 

adverb

rowdiness

ˈrau̇-dē-nəs 

noun

rowdyish

ˈrau̇-dē-ish 

adjective

rowdy

2 of 2

noun

plural rowdies

: a rowdy person : tough

Synonyms of rowdy

Adjective

• boisterous
• raucous
• rambunctious
• noisy
• lively
• rollicking
• rumbustious
• robustious

Noun

• thug
• criminal
• tough
• gangster
• hooligan
• pirate
• bandit
• ruffian
• villain

Examples of rowdy in a Sentence

Adjective

a rowdy game of basketball

a rowdy but good-natured group of teenagers

Noun

rowdies had overtaken the neighborhood and were threatening people on the street

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As previously reported, the release spawned a massive rowdy crowd outside of the brand’s Fifth Avenue store. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Riley grinned with his team protecting an eight-point lead in front of a rowdy, record crowd of 114,419 decked in all white at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

There was no doubt about this home run, which went 401 feet and landed in front of the rowdiest, most dedicated section of the stadium bleachers. — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

The Arizona State student section, 12,000 strong and rowdy at kickoff, was down to less than 100 diehards midway through the fourth quarter. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

perhaps irregular from row entry 5

First Known Use

Adjective

1832, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rowdy

• cloudy
• dowdy
• howdy

Kids Definition

rowdy

1 of 2 adjective

row·​dy ˈrau̇d-ē 

rowdier; rowdiest

: rough or loud in behavior

rowdiness noun

rowdy

2 of 2 noun

plural rowdies

: a rowdy person