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

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

Just north of the clamor on the Indiana Toll Road in East Chicago, an inconspicuous side street leads to Roxana Marsh on the Grand Calumet River. —Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025

Readers have found the details illuminating as many clamor for more information as to what’s going to happen to Uncle Nearest. —Chloe Sorvino, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

This history lesson was not, however, the focus of the year two students, who clamored towards the phone box with Camilla in tow to try out a British tradition. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025

But others are clamoring for its powerful cooling abilities. —Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

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

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