rave

1 of 2

verb

raved; raving
Synonyms of ravenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
b
: to speak out wildly
c
: to talk with extreme enthusiasm
raved about its beauty
2
: to move or advance violently : storm
… the iced gusts still rave and beat …John Keats

transitive verb

: to utter in madness or frenzy

rave

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of raving
2
: an extravagantly favorable criticism
the play received the critics' raves
3
: a large overnight dance party featuring techno music and usually involving the taking of mind-altering drugs

Examples of rave in a Sentence

Verb “It's his best performance yet,” raved one movie critic. The guy on the corner was raving like a madman. The coach ranted and raved at the referee. Noun Her review of the movie was a rave. the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The team raves about the hotel’s water pressure, and the waterfall shower lives up to the hype. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026 Campbell has raved about his coaching tenure at Sac State. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
As Zendaya and Robert Pattinson approach their big day with A24, The Drama has already received an early rave. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026 Meanwhile, financial pressures led to risky programming — raves, liquor nights, quick cash injections that altered the building’s soul. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rave

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rave. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

rave

1 of 2 verb
raved; raving
1
: to talk wildly or irrationally
2
: to talk with great enthusiasm
raved about the new play
raver noun

rave

2 of 2 noun
: a statement of enthusiastic praise

More from Merriam-Webster on rave

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster