clamor

noun clam·or \ ˈkla-mər \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: clamor in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

There has long been a clamor for more immigration judges to keep up with the caseload.

— amy taxin, The Seattle Times, "Judges thrust into debate over Trump’s immigration policies," 2 July 2018
The country’s new leader, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has acknowledged that there is a public clamor for action, but has warned that prosecutors must build a solid case first.

— yantoultra ngui, WSJ, "Jewels, Other Items Seized From Najib Residences Worth $274 Million, Malaysian Police Say," 27 June 2018
Thanks to Valenciano’s civic clamor, south-side Chicano residents enjoyed family picnics and received dental care.

— richard j. gonzales, star-telegram, "Fort Worth’s Chicana Queen devoted her life to social justice," 12 June 2018
Outside, there was the clamor of construction in a neighborhood busily gentrifying.

— susannah breslin, The Atlantic, "Porn’s Uncanny Valley," 1 June 2018
My Facebook feed alone is filled with clamors for a higher sentence and demands that this judge be removed.

— tania brief, Town & Country, "What Brock Turner Can Teach Us About Leniency," 17 June 2016
When Angel Elektra entered a Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library last Thursday, the clamor of children faded.

— NBC News, "Drag Queen Story Hour brings pride and glamor to libraries across U.S.," 19 June 2018
The mass clamor for foreign goods in China started in earnest a decade ago when well-to-do Chinese consumers paid smugglers to bring in iPhones from Hong Kong and the United States before the phones were officially available in China.

— david pierson, latimes.com, "It's like QVC — but through a live-stream. How U.S. boutiques are reaching customers in China," 14 June 2018
The clamor for the lion’s reintroduction to Britain has, so far, been muted.

— kieran dodds, Smithsonian, "Britain’s Lake District Was Immortalized by Beatrix Potter, But Is Its Future in Peril?," 20 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

clamor Synonyms

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

Longtime Savoy fans clamored for the return of the prime rib ($32), as well as the lobster.

— joyce smith, kansascity, "Iconic Savoy restaurant aims for 'throwback' feel with fun, like blue cotton candy," 30 June 2018
Owners of popular YouTube channels like Phil DeFranco and Casey Neistat have long clamored for more ways to make money other than advertising and the complaints have grown louder over the last year.

— lucas shaw, Bloomberg.com, "YouTube Is Offering a Talent Option to Sell Subscriptions," 22 June 2018
In Pennsylvania, residents have clamored for information in the face of unanswered questions about human health effects of PFAS, which had not been studied extensively.

— laura mccrystal, Philly.com, "Toxins found in water near Bucks, Montco military bases more harmful than previously reported," 20 June 2018
At the opposite end of the street from the main stage, children clamored into the jump houses, navigated slides and headed to a carousel swing ride.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Juneteenth celebration marks end of slavery with drums, singing and history lesson," 16 June 2018
But product executives clamored for their expertise.

— lauren weber, WSJ, "Now Fighting for Top Tech Talent: Makers of Turbines, Tools and Toyotas," 31 May 2018
The chimes of an ice cream truck could be heard from up the street — a few kids clamored to catch it in time.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Four injured in shooting in Baltimore's Druid Heights neighborhood," 14 May 2018
The two rivals are clamoring to give riders options for short trips within cities as scooters and bikes have become a popular option.

— greg bensinger, WSJ, "Lyft Follows Uber by Acquiring Bike-Sharing Startup Motivate," 2 July 2018
Yet Viacom’s stock had been in a tailspin, losing half its value during the previous two years, and investors were clamoring for some kind of dramatic action.

— keach hagey, The Hollywood Reporter, "The Moment the War for Sumner Redstone’s Media Empire Really Began (Exclusive Book Excerpt)," 26 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of clamor

see ¹clamor

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

clamor

verb

Definition of clamor

clamored; clamoring; clamors

transitive verb

obsolete

: silence

Origin and Etymology of clamor

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

CLAMOR Defined for English Language Learners

clamor

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

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.