roared; roaring; roars
1
a
: to utter or emit a full loud prolonged sound
b
: to sing or shout with full force
2
a
: to make or emit a loud confused sound (such as background reverberation or rumbling)
b
: to laugh loudly
3
a
: to be boisterous or disorderly
b
: to proceed or rush with great noise or commotion
4
: to make a loud noise during inhalation (such as that of a horse affected with roaring)
1
: the deep cry of a wild animal (such as a lion)
2
: a loud deep cry (as of pain or anger)
3
: a loud continuous confused sound
the roar of the crowd
4
: a boisterous outcry
Synonyms
Examples of roar in a Sentence
Verb
We heard a lion roar in the distance.
The joke got the crowd roaring.
The crowd roared its approval.
She roared at him for being late.
Noun
the roar of the airplane engines
the roar of the river
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Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Otterson, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
At song’s end, Baker tossed her guitar across the stage and the crowd roared with approval.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2023
More than three years after COVID-19 decimated the tourism industry, San Diego has come roaring back, with visitor spending during the last fiscal year easily eclipsing pre-pandemic levels by nearly $3 billion.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2023
Scary play lets people—and other animals—rehearse coping skills for disturbing challenges in the real world
Scientific American November 2023 Issue
Chain saws roar, and spine-chilling screams echo from behind a dense wall of trees.
—Athena Aktipis, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
But in 2020, thanks to a Netflix streaming deal, a new Twilight book from Meyer, and a global pandemic that had everyone inside and looking for light, dumb, feel-good entertainment, Twilight came roaring back.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023
Elaborate replicas of costumes from the Peter Jackson films held court alongside fantasy-fest like renderings of rearing dragons and roaring orcs.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Alcaraz hasn’t won a title since Wimbledon while Djokovic skipped the Asian leg of the tour to come back revitalised and roaring back into opponents' heads.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Panoramic views of the mountains, year-round outdoor seating, tatami rooms, cascading lanterns, and a roaring waterfall entryway complement the menu, which is comprised of exquisite Japanese dishes.
—Alexandra Malmed, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
My inner angst and loneliness reached a deafening roar.
—Ariel Nicholson, Vogue, 9 Nov. 2023
The crowd and music below the green room are a constant dull roar in the background.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2023
The roar of conversation on the bus is near-deafening and constant.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Across much of the United States, winter comes in with a snowy roar.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023
These dark clouds and thunderclaps — even interspersed with the occasional roar of an Israeli fighter jet — would usually be a celebratory moment for this family of farmers, an essential lifesource for their olive groves in this otherwise desiccated uplands.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2023
The Ducati was often the fastest through the speed traps that season (and for many seasons to come), the 17,000 rpm roar making sure everyone knew about the new kid on the MotoGP block.
—Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2023
The stadium erupted in a press-box shaking roar, all those stinking 49ers fans finally had their moment to celebrate but, make no mistake, their team had to work for it.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
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Verb
Then the trucks turned and, instead of crossing our motley little picket line, roared past the Fox entrance, leaning heavily on their horns in support: HONNNNNK!
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
At song’s end, Baker tossed her guitar across the stage and the crowd roared with approval.
—Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2023
More than three years after COVID-19 decimated the tourism industry, San Diego has come roaring back, with visitor spending during the last fiscal year easily eclipsing pre-pandemic levels by nearly $3 billion.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2023
Scary play lets people—and other animals—rehearse coping skills for disturbing challenges in the real world
Scientific American November 2023 Issue
Chain saws roar, and spine-chilling screams echo from behind a dense wall of trees.
—Athena Aktipis, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2023
But in 2020, thanks to a Netflix streaming deal, a new Twilight book from Meyer, and a global pandemic that had everyone inside and looking for light, dumb, feel-good entertainment, Twilight came roaring back.
—Marah Eakin, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023
Elaborate replicas of costumes from the Peter Jackson films held court alongside fantasy-fest like renderings of rearing dragons and roaring orcs.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Alcaraz hasn’t won a title since Wimbledon while Djokovic skipped the Asian leg of the tour to come back revitalised and roaring back into opponents' heads.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Panoramic views of the mountains, year-round outdoor seating, tatami rooms, cascading lanterns, and a roaring waterfall entryway complement the menu, which is comprised of exquisite Japanese dishes.
—Alexandra Malmed, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023
Noun
Bernstein leaps up, opens the curtains, flings his arms wide, and utters a roar of anticipatory delight, like Tarzan greeting a bright new day in the jungle.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023
My inner angst and loneliness reached a deafening roar.
—Ariel Nicholson, Vogue, 9 Nov. 2023
The crowd and music below the green room are a constant dull roar in the background.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2023
The roar of conversation on the bus is near-deafening and constant.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Across much of the United States, winter comes in with a snowy roar.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2023
These dark clouds and thunderclaps — even interspersed with the occasional roar of an Israeli fighter jet — would usually be a celebratory moment for this family of farmers, an essential lifesource for their olive groves in this otherwise desiccated uplands.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2023
The Ducati was often the fastest through the speed traps that season (and for many seasons to come), the 17,000 rpm roar making sure everyone knew about the new kid on the MotoGP block.
—Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2023
The stadium erupted in a press-box shaking roar, all those stinking 49ers fans finally had their moment to celebrate but, make no mistake, their team had to work for it.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English roren, from Old English rārian; akin to Old High German rērēn to bleat
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of roar was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing roar
Dictionary Entries Near roar
Cite this Entry
“Roar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roar. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
roar
1 of 2 verb
ˈrō(ə)r 
ˈrȯ(ə)r
1
: to utter a long full loud sound
the lion roared
2
: to laugh loudly
3
: to say with a roar
roarer
noun
ˈrōr-ər
ˈrȯr-
roar
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the deep loud cry of a wild animal (as a lion)
b
: a loud deep cry or shout
2
: a loud confused sound
the roar of the crowd
More from Merriam-Webster on roar
Nglish: Translation of roar for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of roar for Arabic Speakers
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