raucous

adjective
rau·​cous | \ ˈrȯ-kəs How to pronounce raucous (audio) \

Definition of raucous

1 : disagreeably harsh or strident : hoarse raucous voices
2 : boisterously disorderly a … raucous frontier town— Truman Capote

Other Words from raucous

raucously adverb
raucousness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for raucous

Synonyms

Antonyms

Visit the Thesaurus for More 

Choose the Right Synonym for raucous

loud, stentorian, earsplitting, raucous, strident mean marked by intensity or volume of sound. loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness. loud shouts of protest stentorian implies great power and range. an actor with a stentorian voice earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting. the earsplitting sound of a siren raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness. the raucous shouts of drunken revelers strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice. the strident voices of hecklers

Examples of raucous in a Sentence

He stepped over one man, avoided a raucous group of inebriated merchant seamen staggering for their boats, ran up his steps into the large foyer … — James Clavell, Gai-Jin, 1994 The scene was reminiscent of a college fraternity reunion, with plenty of backslapping, joking, hugging and raucous laughter. — Lewis Beale, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 1987 On the ledge of rock above this strange couple there stood three solemn buzzards, who, at the sight of the new comers uttered raucous screams of disappointment and flapped sullenly away. — Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887 the partying neighbors kept up their raucous laughter half the night
Recent Examples on the Web The combination of raucous, late-night parties and a culture of tight-lipped secrecy —what happens at a film festival stays at a film festival — could prove toxic. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Oct. 2022 This was the time of huge budgets, raucous parties, raunchy lyrics and the reign of video vixens. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 25 May 2022 It’s a thriller that doubles as a vibrant portrait of Swinging London, complete with raucous parties and a rock’n’roll soundtrack. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 12 May 2022 Their restaurant became a gathering place for people from all over the county, known for its free-flowing wines, delicious food and raucous parties. Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2022 Perhaps his lowest moment was having to apologize to Buckingham Palace for two raucous parties thrown by his staff on the night before Philip’s funeral. Mark Landler, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2022 Perhaps his lowest moment was having to apologize to Buckingham Palace for two raucous parties thrown by his staff on the night before Philip’s funeral. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2022 That score gave the Raiders a 17-10 lead with 8:52 to play, and kicker Jeff Jaeger added a 25-yard field goals with 29 seconds to play for the final 20-10 margin before 92,045 raucous fans at L.A. Coliseum. Kyle Brown, The Enquirer, 12 Jan. 2022 Horn then took the ball to the right and ran in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and setting off a raucous celebration in Boone. Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 18 Sep. 2022 See More

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

First Known Use of raucous

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for raucous

Latin raucus hoarse; akin to Latin ravis hoarseness

Learn More About raucous

Time Traveler for raucous

Time Traveler

The first known use of raucous was in 1769

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near raucous

raucle

raucous

raught

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for raucous

Last Updated

18 Oct 2022

Cite this Entry

“Raucous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raucous. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

More Definitions for raucous

raucous

adjective
rau·​cous | \ ˈrȯ-kəs How to pronounce raucous (audio) \

Kids Definition of raucous

1 : being harsh and unpleasant a raucous voice
2 : behaving in a rough and noisy way a raucous crowd

Other Words from raucous

raucously adverb
raucousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on raucous

Nglish: Translation of raucous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of raucous for Arabic Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

Test Your Vocabulary

Odd Habits and Quirks

  • image1926873504
  • Which of the following best describes an easily irritated person?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!