raucous

1 of 2

adjective

rau·​cous ˈrȯ-kəs 

1

: disagreeably harsh or strident : hoarse

raucous voices

2

: boisterously disorderly

… a … raucous frontier town …

—Truman Capote

raucously adverb

raucousness noun

raucousness

2 of 2

noun

rau·​cous·​ness

ˈrȯ-kəs-nəs

plural -es

: the quality or state of being raucous

Synonyms of raucous

Adjective

• boisterous
• rowdy
• rambunctious
• lively
• rollicking
• noisy
• rumbustious
• robustious
• violent

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

Could the temporary seating at BMO Field actually withstand the number of people All those fears were quelled when Toronto put on six memorable matchday experiences, along with raucous watch parties throughout the city. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 July 2026

The winning goal prompted a raucous celebration from the outnumbered Spain fans inside MetLife Stadium and the entire Spanish bench, which mobbed the striker near the corner flag. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

During a raucous town hall in Boyle Heights last week, where residents booed the officials who spoke, Bass noted that Airbnb was providing short-term rental assistance for people who live close to the fire. — Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026

Silent and purposeful, the pelicans cut through a raucous chaos of gulls at the end of the wharf and glided on into the marsh. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin raucus hoarse; akin to Latin ravis hoarseness

First Known Use

Adjective

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for raucous

• caucus
• coccus
• glaucous
• glaucus
• cryptococcus
• diplococcus
• gonococcus
• micrococcus
• pneumococcus
• streptococcus
• echinococcus
• enterococcus

Kids Definition

raucous

adjective

rau·​cous ˈrȯ-kəs 

1

: being harsh and unpleasant

a raucous voice

2

: behaving in a rough and noisy way

a raucous crowd

raucously adverb

raucousness noun