vociferous

adjective

vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsi-f(ə-)rəs How to pronounce vociferous (audio)
: 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" so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the adjective vociferous is used to describe those who are loud and proud, who show their support or displeasure for something or someone by hootin' and hollerin'. Both vociferate and vociferous come from the Latin 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."

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
America has tens of thousands of troops and a host of major bases in Europe, but President Donald Trump—a vociferous NATO skeptic—has demanded that alliance members commit to spending 5 percent of GDP on defense. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025 Essentially, their votes and their objections, no matter how vociferous or meritorious, did not matter. Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 July 2025 Agility on this front might become the need of the hour because European buyers are likely to have a lower appetite for more long-term LNG contracts compared to their Asian counterparts due to a more vociferous socio-political stance on meeting their current net zero emissions targets. Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025 His thrilling production, which arrives at the Ahmanson on June 17, managed to convert even some of the musical’s most vociferous doubters. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for vociferous

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vociferous was in 1700

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Cite this Entry

“Vociferous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vociferous. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

vociferous

adjective
vo·​cif·​er·​ous vō-ˈsif-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce vociferous (audio)
: making a loud outcry : noisy, clamorous
vociferously adverb

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