clamor

1 of 3

noun

clam·​or ˈkla-mər How to pronounce clamor (audio)
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

clamor

2 of 3

verb (1)

clamored; clamoring ˈklam-riŋ How to pronounce clamor (audio)
ˈkla-mər-iŋ

intransitive verb

1
: to make a din (see din entry 1 sense 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 waresWalter Farley
2
: to influence by means of clamor

clamor

3 of 3

verb (2)

clamored; clamoring; clamors

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 politician who receives a thousand emails a day clamoring for his resignation might as well be listening to an angry crowd.

Examples of clamor in a Sentence

Noun 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 on the Web
Noun
The latest clamor has been for more long-range missile systems to target Russian positions within Ukraine. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 13 July 2023 Amid the clamor of the modern media environment, a lot of events — even headlines that might seem indelible to those who do follow current events — simply wash over a large share of the population. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 All await amid a clamor of shouts and groans, punctuated by the metronome beep of hospital machines and the rumblings of bombs and heavy gunfire nearby. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 Amid the clamor surrounding the defection, Dr. Kahn pitched a freelance magazine story to the New York Times explaining the history of cryptology. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2024 But the governor is not immune to the growing clamor over crime — and Democratic political concerns about it. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2024 Amid the growing clamor in Congress to regulate AI, the company is bringing in reinforcements. Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2024 The only scene in the film that takes place inside the walls of Auschwitz sees the camera linger on the actor’s face, in close-up, as the clamor of death is heard all around him. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2024 There’s no clamor for either topic except among Republican politicians who trade on hate and fear. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2024
Verb
Arizona will have a Senate race for the fifth straight election cycle, with Democrats and Republicans both clamoring to hold their political bases while reaching for the stray independent. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 In the peak summer (and even shoulder fall) months, this stretch of highway essentially turns into a parking lot of beachgoers and leaf-peeping weekenders clamoring their way north for a city break. Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2024 As workers begin to ration out the soup in various bowls, some children clamored at the gates amid shouts and childish cheers. NBC News, 20 Jan. 2024 House Republicans have long clamored to impeach Mayorkas, blaming him for the crisis at the southern border. USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024 Those increases fall in line with data that shows a tidal wave of applicants clamoring for remote jobs. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Arceus was new ground for the franchise: the first open-world game in the series, something for which fans had long clamored. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024 The anticipation of the games has sent hotel prices soaring and travelers clamoring for tickets. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2024 No wonder the media clamored to interview her in her nineties. Hillary Kelly, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clamor.' 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

Noun and Verb (1)

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

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clamor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near clamor

Cite this Entry

“Clamor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clamor. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clamor

noun
clam·​or
ˈklam-ər
1
a
: a noisy shouting
b
: a loud continuous noise
2
: strong and active protest or demand
clamor verb
clamorous
-(ə-)rəs
adjective
clamorously adverb
Etymology

Noun

Middle English clamor "noisy shouting," from early French clamour (same meaning), derived from Latin clamare "to shout" — related to acclaim, claim

More from Merriam-Webster on clamor

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