raved; raving
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
John Keats
: to utter in madness or frenzy
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
Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Utopia Bedding 4-piece Bed Sheets Despite being just $15, countless shoppers can’t stop raving over these Utopia Bedding bed sheets—in fact, over 182,000 people have given them a five-star rating on Amazon.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Despite a broadly positive reception for the films on display — The Hollywood Reporter has given raves for competition titles A Prayer for the Dying and Queen at Sea — its controversy, not cinema, that has dominated the conversation.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rave
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Verb
New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley raved about Lysistrata Jones.
—Sarah Hepola, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Utopia Bedding 4-piece Bed Sheets Despite being just $15, countless shoppers can’t stop raving over these Utopia Bedding bed sheets—in fact, over 182,000 people have given them a five-star rating on Amazon.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
Hell on earth may look different for everyone, and yet a pulsating rave in the Moroccan desert while the world burns has the potential to be a consensus pick — even for Burning Man enthusiasts.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Despite a broadly positive reception for the films on display — The Hollywood Reporter has given raves for competition titles A Prayer for the Dying and Queen at Sea — its controversy, not cinema, that has dominated the conversation.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rave
Cite this Entry
“Rave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rave. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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