hell-raising

adjective

as in rowdy
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way would often reminisce with his buddies about their hell-raising adventures as teenagers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 hell-raising His gruff mechanic Cooter Davenport is introduced as a hell-raising, uncouth wild man, constantly taunting the authorities and flouting convention. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026 Still, he's still got plenty of hell-raising left in him. — Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell-raising
  1. rowdy
  2. rambunctious
  3. boisterous
  4. raucous
  5. rollicking
  6. rumbustious
  7. knockabout
  8. lively
Adjective
  • Despite whatever news comes from the court system today, Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU coach should be rowdy.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As Musashi scrambles through a school of Samurai, the game seamlessly bounces between skillful swordplay, rowdy improvisation, and Looney Tunes-style levity.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of rowdy
Adjective
  • There’s also a kids water park for the more rambunctious members of the family to get their energy out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Enter a rambunctious alien, who crash-lands on Earth just when Lilo needs him the most.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of rambunctious
Adjective
  • The tables are packed tightly together, ensuring a boisterous, convivial atmosphere.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For months, boisterous fellows at Angels Stadium peeled off their shirts and begged Moreno to sell.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of boisterous
Adjective
  • Find a way to limit run-after-catch opportunities for Green Bay’s wideouts, avoid turnovers offensively and Minnesota should be able to ride a raucous crowd to a Week 1 victory.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • China's 7-foot-3 teenage sensation Zhang Ziyu scored 8 points while Han Xu lead the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds in front of a raucous crowd at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • Murphy then appeared on stage to a rollicking standing ovation and made his way to his place at the dais toward the back of the room.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of rollicking
Adjective
  • The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
  • Still, there’s a lot of pleasing vitality to this great American story about how clever brewers took an ancient idea and unlocked an unheard-of range of innovations with a combination of capitalist energy and rumbustious creativity.
    — Kyle Smith, National Review, 18 Apr. 2021
Definition of rumbustious
Adjective
  • The style is almost knockabout, with a color palette reminiscent of Coralie Fargeat, but quickly evolves into its own thing with the arrival of Taquin as Margot, a medical student at a nearby hospital.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
  • Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.
    — JEANNETTE CATSOULIS, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017
Definition of knockabout
Adjective
  • Broad, a lively character on the field during his playing days, then starts talking about personas.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Vendors and growers carry in their selections from different parts of the city and greater New England, making the lively market feel like a center for the region’s resurgence of artisan crafts and family farming.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of lively

Browse Nearby Words

hellos
hell-raising
hells
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Cite this Entry

“Hell-raising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell-raising. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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