clamor

1 of 3

noun

clam·​or ˈkla-mər 

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 

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 wares.

—Walter Farley

2

: to influence by means of clamor

clamor

3 of 3

verb (2)

clamored; clamoring; clamors

transitive verb

obsolete

: silence

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.

Synonyms of clamor

Noun

• roar
• noise
• howl

Verb (1)

• demand
• call (for)
• press (for)
• require
• request
• insist (on)
• stipulate (for)

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.

Verb (1)

a dozen customers clamoring for service all at once

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now, the clamor over unregulated peptides has become a high-stakes policy battle within the federal government. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

When this railway first opened, there was a clamor to obtain tickets. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026

Verb

Fans online — those who’d been at the concert and those just tracking it from afar — immediately began clamoring for a commercial release of Saturday’s show. — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

Elsewhere, dozens of countries and non-governmental organizations are clamoring for a global treaty under negotiation at the United Nations. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English clamour, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French clamur, clamour, borrowed from Latin clāmor, from clāmāre "to shout, utter a loud cry" + -or -or entry 2 — more at claim entry 1

Verb (1)

Middle English clamouren, derivative of clamour clamor entry 1

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

Rhymes for clamor

• amor
• clamour
• glamor
• glamour
• grammar
• hammer
• jammer
• rammer
• stammer
• programmer
• sledgehammer
• tetramer

Kids Definition

clamor

noun

clam·​or

ˈklam-ər

1

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