Synonym Chooser

How is the word boisterous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of boisterous are blatant, clamorous, obstreperous, strident, and vociferous. While all these words mean "so loud or insistent as to compel attention," boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.

a boisterous crowd of party goers

When would blatant be a good substitute for boisterous?

The words blatant and boisterous can be used in similar contexts, but blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.

blatant rock music
a blatant clamor for impeachment

When is it sensible to use clamorous instead of boisterous?

While in some cases nearly identical to boisterous, clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.

clamorous demands for prison reforms

In what contexts can obstreperous take the place of boisterous?

The meanings of obstreperous and boisterous largely overlap; however, obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.

the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested

Where would strident be a reasonable alternative to boisterous?

While the synonyms strident and boisterous are close in meaning, strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.

heard the strident cry of the crow

When is vociferous a more appropriate choice than boisterous?

In some situations, the words vociferous and boisterous are roughly equivalent. However, vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.

vociferous cries of protest and outrage

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boisterous The closeups of faces, hugely magnified on the Piazza’s screen—noble workers and boisterous bosses alike—could, in a certain light, be viewed as Expressionist updates of dell’Arca for a post-religious age, barrelling toward a dangerous new faith. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers’ star winger with a boisterous personality and is unafraid to speak his mind, was the guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay live from the University of Miami campus. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025 Neither is ever this boisterous or silly onscreen, but that sense of play courses (though quietly) through much of their work. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 But theater owners, producers and theatrical labor unions strongly opposed the plan, staging boisterous protests in Times Square and packing community hearings in recent months. Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boisterous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boisterous
Adjective
  • From the moment it was announced the Ryder Cup would come to New York, many expected a raucous crowd that could rival the 1999 Brookline crowd in Massachusetts for the most hostile toward Europeans.
    Brody Miller, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • This raucous feast for the senses stars Farrell as a wild gambler slowly losing it all.
    Madeleine Janz, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Joe Nipote voiced Uncle Stretch, the rowdy leader of the Ghostly Trio, in Casper.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The Swamp is notoriously rowdy and spirited, but there’s still plenty for families to do in Gainesville, game day or not.
    Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Thanks to the anti-slip bottom, the couch won’t shift around when your rambunctious pet hops into it.
    Christine Persaud, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Meeting at the family home just before the funeral, Anne (Emily Fairn), the only girl sibling, encourages her rambunctious brothers to at least pretend to be a united front in public.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Throughout an offseason devoted to expansive training, that spirit was on full display — including during the lively knockout games at Prentiss’ gym.
    Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Discussions about the fast-changing international TV distribution market are ten-a-penny at industry conferences, but the group made a lively and worthwhile contribution to the pantheon.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Around this time, the outfit’s quirky, lightly rumbustious songs began to resonate across British press and radio; accessible while containing a marked dose of strangeness, Fontaine’s songwriting – at once emotionally raw and witty – boasted a strong multi-generational appeal.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 8 May 2025
  • The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
Adjective
  • This simple yet powerful step turned noisy, unreliable photon signals into clean bursts of single photons — a breakthrough for future quantum technologies.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
  • How to stand out in such a noisy season?
    Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His lightning guitar work — alongside a mandolinist, fiddler, upright-bassist and banjo player who are not too shabby on their respective strings themselves — delivered a rollicking half-hour that gave the fans in the bleachers plenty to dance to.
    Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Joy’s jazzy, smoky version of the Marvin Gaye classic, coupled with her velvety vocals, sparked another rollicking ovation led by John who was the first to stand up.
    Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 4 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • While Memphis has seen high numbers of violent crimes such as homicides and carjackings in recent years, Democratic and Republican officials have noted decreases this year in some crime categories.
    Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Even so, to take on one of the most famous women in history — and through a lens so bloody and violent — is a mighty tall order.
    Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Boisterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boisterous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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