boisterous

adjective

bois·​ter·​ous ˈbȯi-st(ə-)rəs 

1

a

: noisily turbulent : rowdy

b

: marked by or expressive of exuberance and high spirits

2

: stormy, tumultuous

3

obsolete

a

: coarse

b

: durable, strong

c

: massive

boisterously adverb

boisterousness noun

Synonyms of boisterous

• raucous
• rowdy
• rambunctious
• lively
• rumbustious
• noisy
• rollicking
• violent
• robustious

Choose the Right Synonym for boisterous

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 boisterous in a Sentence

The crowd was young and boisterous, the cheeseburgers were juicy and perfectly charred, and the place was always packed. —Jonathan Black, Saveur, October 2007

Things had apparently gotten a little too boisterous during the Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League games. And it wasn't the kids. Fed up with noisy, know-it-all parents, the league banned cheering and jeering from the sidelines for one game, which they dubbed Silent Sunday. —Kate Rounds, Ms., December 1999/January 2000

Suzanne Massie, boisterous and voluble as we drove through her adopted neighborhood in St. Petersburg, hurtled to a sudden stop. She was laughing uproariously to see the spot, where five years earlier, her rented car had fallen apart … —Christopher Lydon, Atlantic, February 1993

A large and boisterous crowd attended the concert.

the fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run

Recent Examples on the Web

Parade goers from across the city, state and country brought out typical boisterous enthusiasm for one of Boston’s most notable event, decked out in green overalls, Irish flags, glittering shamrocks, Celtics gear, creative costumes and more. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026

Whether that’s in his affinity for the look and feel of analog, and many of his projects reflect this; or found within his boisterous and humorous live video directing style. —Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026

The 600 crew — who are releasing a mixtape this Friday, 6WA — include fellow Texas rappers Ro$ama, Yung Hood, Murdagang PB, KevanGotBandz, and KaineMusic, all of whom made boisterous appearances on Saturday night at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. —Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026

Lord and Miller are boisterous funnymen, with a flair for the exaggerated and the outlandish that feels born of their frequent work in animation. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English boistous crude, clumsy, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Kids Definition

boisterous

adjective

bois·​ter·​ous ˈbȯi-st(ə-)rəs 

1

a

: noisily rough : rowdy

a boisterous crowd

b

: marked by high spirits

boisterous laughter

2

: vigorously active : stormy

boisterously adverb

boisterousness noun