vociferous

adjective

vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsi-f(ə-)rəs 

: marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry

vociferously adverb

vociferousness noun

Did you know?

Hear ye! Hear ye! To vociferate is to cry out loudly and insistently. Those who vociferate qualify as vociferous, especially when they loudly or insistently show their support for or displeasure in something by hootin' and hollerin'. Both vociferate and vociferous come from the Latin verb vociferari, a combining of vox, meaning "voice," with ferre, meaning "to carry." In addition to describing loud and insistent individuals and groups—critics, crowds, fans, et al.—vociferous can be used for anything characterized by loud insistence, as in "vociferous complaints," "a vociferous defense," and "vociferous support."

Synonyms of vociferous

• outspoken
• vocal
• blatant
• noisy

Choose the Right Synonym for vociferous

vociferous, clamorous, blatant, strident, boisterous, obstreperous mean so loud or insistent as to compel attention.

vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.

vociferous cries of protest and outrage

clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.

clamorous demands for prison reforms

blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.

blatant rock music

a blatant clamor for impeachment

strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.

heard the strident cry of the crow

boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.

a boisterous crowd of party goers

obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.

the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested

Examples of vociferous in a Sentence

He is her most vociferous critic.

He was vociferous in his support of the proposal.

The decision was made over their vociferous objections.

Recent Examples on the Web

The public data do not contain information about who makes the reports to 311, and these numbers could be skewed by vociferous individuals. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026

Hannity, Brian Kilmeade and Mark Levin were among the most vociferous leading up to the attack and after. —Ali Swenson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

Judea had a bitter personal taste of it with the cancellation of today’s annual Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture at UCLA after vociferous threats by students to disrupt the event. —Elliott Broidy, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026

The discontent was more widespread, more vociferous and more insulting this time. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin vōciferārī "to utter with a loud voice, shout, yell" + -ous — more at vociferate

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vociferous

• auriferous
• calciferous
• coniferous
• pestiferous
• argentiferous
• carboniferous
• fossiliferous
• manganiferous
• metalliferous
• odoriferous
• seminiferous
• titaniferous

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Kids Definition

vociferous

adjective

vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsif-(ə-)rəs 

: making a loud outcry : noisy, clamorous

vociferously adverb