rowdy

1 of 2

adjective

row·dy ˈrau̇-dē

rowdier; rowdiest

: coarse or boisterous in behavior : rough

also : characterized by such behavior

rowdy local bars

rowdily

ˈrau̇-də-lē

adverb

rowdiness

ˈrau̇-dē-nəs

noun

rowdyish

ˈrau̇-dē-ish

adjective

rowdy

2 of 2

Example Sentences

Adjective a rowdy game of basketball a rowdy but good-natured group of teenagers Noun rowdies had overtaken the neighborhood and were threatening people on the street

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The wand of office is a thin white staff, which was traditionally used by the Lord Chamberlain to intimidate rowdy courtiers who would be prodded with it with a warning to behave.

Patrick Smith, NBC News, 19 Sep. 2022 In the old days, depending on the league and region, rowdy behavior wasn’t uncommon, but BAVBB founders favored a more civil game with respect shown to foes, cranks (fans) and sirs (umpires).

John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Sep. 2022 My tenure as a bartender spanned upscale cocktail lounges and resorts, bustling breweries and family restaurants, dark dives, rowdy clubs, and music venues.

Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 16 Sep. 2022 Her aesthetic is deliberately extravagant and rowdy.

Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2022 Some accounts of the American Civil War mention rowdy spectators toting baskets of food to the Battle of Bull Run in 1861 to watch the action.

Outside Online, 9 Sep. 2022 The meeting took a rowdy turn during the public comment portion of the night, with more than 100 people speaking that night, according to School Board vice chair Steve Gallon III.

Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2022 A decade ago, the public might have scoffed at the idea of Elon Musk’s rowdy start-up doing anything very historic.

Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2022 If Williams gets rolling and Kontaveit gets rattled by a rowdy and hostile stadium, anything can happen.

Brandon Griggs, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022

Noun

Midnight Madness screenings had previously taken place at the Ryerson Theatre, an auditorium on a local college campus and the rowdy, school’s out vibes of the screenings made sense there.

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Parents, school resource officers and other law enforcement have helped identify young partiers who broke into an $8 million Gulf Coast home to throw a large, unauthorized rowdy party.

Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 28 June 2022 Ronnie Hawkins, the rowdy rockabilly singer who was instrumental in the formation of the pioneering Americana group the Band, died on Sunday.

Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2022 This year’s class of 29er trail bikes can handle the same rowdy riding as longer-travel machines, albeit with slightly slower speeds and more careful line choices.

Josh Patterson, Outside Online, 23 May 2020 Houstonians are not likely to receive the worst of it, but strong winds and a blitz of rowdy thunderstorms could make things interesting for commuters over the next 24 hours.

Dan Carson, Chron, 29 Mar. 2022 Acton was known for getting the crowd rowdy during key moments, especially when the Cardinals were playing rivals like Memphis or Kentucky and needed the inspiration to close out the game.

Kala Kachmar, The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2022 Despite finding success from the field later in the contest, a heartless defense effort left the Wolverines helpless down the stretch, and UCF cruised to a rowdy, NCAA tournament resume-building victory on its home court.

Paul Nasr, Detroit Free Press, 31 Dec. 2021 The country music trio of Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley, and Miranda Lambert put their signature rowdy spin on the holidays with this original song, the title track of the group’s debut Christmas record.

Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 24 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rowdy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.