clamor

play

noun clam·or \ ˈkla-mər \

Definition of clamor

1 a :noisy shouting

a clamor of children at play

b :a loud continuous noise

the clamor of the waterfall

2 :insistent public expression (as of support or protest)

the current clamor about what is wrong with our schools

See clamor defined for English-language learners

See clamor defined for kids

Examples of clamor in a Sentence

A clamor outside woke them in the night.
city streets filled with clamor
a public clamor for an arrest in the case
There is growing clamor for reform.

Recent Examples of clamor from the Web

By refusing to clamor for attention, Golovkin receives less notice in return.

— greg bishop, SI.com, "Farce vs. Fight: Is Mayweather-McGregor Risking Boxing's Best Chance at Resurgence?," 22 Aug. 2017
Marketing partners clamor to be associated with them and their national fan base.

— stephen whyno, The Seattle Times, "PepsiCo deal shows companies not shying away from Redskins," 25 July 2017
Clocking in under three minutes, the Skrillex track is one of Diplo's briefer works, but the short-and-sweet run time is just enough for the track's blaring, chaotic clamor to reach its peak.

— tatiana cirisano, Billboard, "Diplo's 15 Best Songs: Critic's Picks," 17 July 2017
While skyscrapers and high-rises clamor for space along famous beaches like Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema, the Windsor Atlantica Hotel provides a classic luxury retreat in the middle of it all.

— kyle valenta, USA TODAY, "10 hotels with amazing city skyline views," 6 July 2017
There is a clamor on all sides to fill that opening with unelected candidates from the 2017 election.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Letter: Mundelein trustee vacancy conundrum," 29 June 2017
The clamor of trains and blaring whistles no longer disturbs folks in Ely.

— terry gardner, latimes.com, "Road trip of the future: Travel with John Muir, where the scenery is unreal and the kids fight over who sits in the back," 29 June 2017
But despite increasing public clamor and official investment, the shortages persist and are predicted to worsen.

— pamela constable, Washington Post, "In Pakistan, scorching Ramadan month highlights chronic water, power shortages.," 28 June 2017
Amid the ongoing clamor of this fervent opposition, not a brick has been laid.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Trump’s Border Wall Charade Limps Forward," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clamor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The clamor on Broadway at midday can be astonishing to a tourist from a midwestern town; if they happen to be digging up the street with jackhammers, the clamor can be even worse. The clamor on the floor of a stock exchange goes on without stopping for seven hours every day. A clamor of protest may sometimes be quieter, but is often just as hard to ignore. A politican who receives a thousand e-mails a day clamoring for his resignation might as well be listening to an angry crowd.

Origin and Etymology of clamor

Middle English, from Anglo-French clamour, from Latin clamor, from clamare to cry out — more at claim

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

clamor Synonyms

Synonyms

howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, noise, outcry, roar, tumult, uproar, vociferation

Antonyms

quiet, silence, silentness, still, stillness

Related Words

clangor, din, jangle, racket; cri de coeur, outburst, protest

Near Antonyms

mumble, mumbling, murmur, murmuring, rumble, rumbling

clamor

verb

Definition of clamor

clamored; clamoring play \ˈklam-riŋ, ˈkla-mər-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to make a din (see ¹din 1)

The children clamored around them, singing songs and laughing.

2 :to become loudly insistent

clamored for his impeachment

clamoring for full independence

transitive verb

1 :to utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

cart peddlers clamored their wares
—Walter Farley

2 :to influence by means of clamor

Recent Examples of clamor from the Web

Boxing always has been an immigrant sport, and in big cities, fans would clamor for fighters who came from neighborhoods constructed along ethic lines.

— adam kilgore, chicagotribune.com, "Racial conflict sells boxing matches. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are its latest pitchmen.," 23 Aug. 2017
Fans of HGTV's Fixer Upper continue to clamor for a chance to stay at Chip and Joanna Gaines's bed and breakfast property just outside of Waco, Texas.

— lauren matthews, Country Living, "10 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Stay at Magnolia House," 22 Aug. 2017
Soon, Moda Operandi and Harvey Nichols were clamoring for his shoes, and in his third season the line exploded.

— whitney robinson, Town & Country, "See Inside the Florentine Palazzo Where Aquazzura's Edgardo Osorio of Aquazzura Lives and Works," 17 Aug. 2017
Thus, wise strategy adjustments from Disney and other TV corporations may free up billions of dollars of revenue that several other media and technology companies will clamor for, but which Facebook and Google are uniquely poised to capture.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "TV’s Ad Apocalypse Is Getting Closer," 10 Aug. 2017
But on Saturdays, a 3 p.m. opening brings folks clamoring for $8 Bloody Marys.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Simple cocktail or meal in a glass, the Bloody Mary can be the cure for what ails you," 19 July 2017
Still, those clamoring for an Andy Serkis Oscar nod may be disappointed this time around.

— tom philip, GQ, "War for the Planet of the Apes," 14 July 2017
The fans never clamored for such a change before, so why should anyone listen to Harper and switch up the format now?

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should MLB change the All-Star Game format?," 11 July 2017
A swathe of small towns across middle America will be rolling out the red carpet for people clamoring to see the total solar eclipse on August 21—the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in the U.S. since 1918—only visible from a few places.

— jennifer alsever, Fortune, "Want to See the Solar Eclipse? Book Your Hotel Yesterday," 6 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of clamor

see ¹clamor

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

clamor

verb

Definition of clamor

transitive verb

obsolete

:silence

Recent Examples of clamor from the Web

Boxing always has been an immigrant sport, and in big cities, fans would clamor for fighters who came from neighborhoods constructed along ethic lines.

— adam kilgore, chicagotribune.com, "Racial conflict sells boxing matches. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are its latest pitchmen.," 23 Aug. 2017
Fans of HGTV's Fixer Upper continue to clamor for a chance to stay at Chip and Joanna Gaines's bed and breakfast property just outside of Waco, Texas.

— lauren matthews, Country Living, "10 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Stay at Magnolia House," 22 Aug. 2017
Soon, Moda Operandi and Harvey Nichols were clamoring for his shoes, and in his third season the line exploded.

— whitney robinson, Town & Country, "See Inside the Florentine Palazzo Where Aquazzura's Edgardo Osorio of Aquazzura Lives and Works," 17 Aug. 2017
Thus, wise strategy adjustments from Disney and other TV corporations may free up billions of dollars of revenue that several other media and technology companies will clamor for, but which Facebook and Google are uniquely poised to capture.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "TV’s Ad Apocalypse Is Getting Closer," 10 Aug. 2017
But on Saturdays, a 3 p.m. opening brings folks clamoring for $8 Bloody Marys.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Simple cocktail or meal in a glass, the Bloody Mary can be the cure for what ails you," 19 July 2017
Still, those clamoring for an Andy Serkis Oscar nod may be disappointed this time around.

— tom philip, GQ, "War for the Planet of the Apes," 14 July 2017
The fans never clamored for such a change before, so why should anyone listen to Harper and switch up the format now?

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should MLB change the All-Star Game format?," 11 July 2017
A swathe of small towns across middle America will be rolling out the red carpet for people clamoring to see the total solar eclipse on August 21—the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in the U.S. since 1918—only visible from a few places.

— jennifer alsever, Fortune, "Want to See the Solar Eclipse? Book Your Hotel Yesterday," 6 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of clamor

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

See Words from the same year

CLAMOR Defined for English Language Learners

clamor

play

noun

Definition of clamor for English Language Learners

: a loud continuous noise (such as the noise made when many people are talking or shouting)
: a loud or strong demand for something by many people

CLAMOR Defined for Kids

clamor

play

noun clam·or \ ˈkla-mər \

Definition of clamor for Students

1 :a noisy shouting

2 :a loud continuous noise

the clamor of a storm

3 :strong and loud demand

There was a public clamor for change.

Word Root of clamor

The Latin word clamāre, meaning “to shout” or “to cry out,” gives us the root clam and its form claim. Words from the Latin clamāre have something to do with shouting. To exclaim is to cry out in a sudden or emotional way. To proclaim is to announce or shout something publicly. Clamor is noisy shouting.