HELL-RAISING Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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

Adjective

Finally, the rowdy late-night crowd of after-partiers spills in, at worst hogging the mic and at best uniting an entire room.

— Skyli Alvarez, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Still, devotees of John Waters, Sean Baker, Todd Solondz and the Safdie brothers will sense that DeFalco is a kindred spirit, a filmmaker with an open-minded curiosity about the rowdier parts of the human zoo.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of rowdy

Adjective

The rambunctious teenagers crammed into a lecture hall suddenly went quiet when a woman old enough to be their great-grandmother, and smaller in stature than many of them, approached the podium.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Bryan echoing the Truckers is very good news, since their own rambunctious salad days eventually yielded some of this century’s best American anthems.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of rambunctious

Adjective

The boisterous bass makes the near-constant kick drum a bit overbearing at times.

— Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
The verdict St Vincent possesses an unexplored, get-away-from-it-all tranquillity that many more boisterous Caribbean islands would sell their last rum punch for.

— James Rampton, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of boisterous

Adjective

Some loyalists donned their best Boston Raiders or Montreal Metros T-shirts, others filled their special edition popcorn buckets and soda cups, but all erupted into raucous cheers while viewing the penultimate and final episodes of the first season.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026
In three straight home games, the Carolina Panthers heard a raucous home crowd use their collective might to be heard.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 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

While the famed Jericoacoara next door is known for its lively nightlife and parties, Preá’s new crop of high-end boutique hotels and villas offers a more exclusive take on barefoot luxury.

— Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
All of which leads to an ambiguous conclusion that might cue lively discussion among folks who stick around for the final minutes.

— Joe Leydon, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of lively

Browse Nearby Words

hellos

hell-raising

hells

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“Hell-raising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell-raising. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of hell-raising

adjective

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