rave

1 of 3

verb

ˈrāv 

raved; raving

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 3

noun (1)

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

raver

3 of 3

noun (2)

rav·​er ˈrā-vər 

1

: one that raves

2

: a person who frequents raves

Synonyms of rave

Verb

• drool
• gush
• fuss

Noun (1)

• applause
• ovation
• praise
• cheering

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 (1)

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

Verb

Speaking to People in 2024, Garten raved about her friendship with Garner. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 July 2026

Victoria Phillips-Hunter from Carlisle, England, raved about the hospitality staff, having worked in hospitality herself. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Noun

In the theater that night was Pierre Autre, Motion Picture Herald’s man in Paris, who first sent word back to American readers, a rave that has stood the test of time. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026

My Left Foot was met with raves, earning both Day-Lewis and Fricker Oscar wins for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress in 1990, respectively. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026

Noun

Pissenem imagined a daytime beach club that catered to older ravers who could afford VIP beds and younger tourists who wanted to dance in the sand. — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

For some longtime ravers, this approach isn’t much cause for concern. — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun (1)

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rave

• rant and rave
• rave review

Rhymes for rave

• brave
• cave
• clave
• crave
• fave
• gave
• grave
• knave
• lave
• nave
• pave
• shave

Kids Definition

rave

1 of 2 verb

ˈrāv 

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