roar

1 of 2

verb

roared; roaring; roars

intransitive verb

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)

transitive verb

1
: to utter or proclaim with a roar
2
: to cause to roar

roar

2 of 2

noun

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

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
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 See More

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

Cite this Entry

“Roar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roar. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

roar

1 of 2 verb
ˈrō(ə)r How to pronounce roar (audio)
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
ˈrōr-ər
ˈrȯr-
noun

roar

2 of 2 noun
1
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

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