Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective raucous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of raucous are earsplitting, loud, stentorian, and strident. While all these words mean "marked by intensity or volume of sound," raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness.

the raucous shouts of drunken revelers

When is it sensible to use earsplitting instead of raucous?

The meanings of earsplitting and raucous largely overlap; however, earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting.

the earsplitting sound of a siren

Where would loud be a reasonable alternative to raucous?

The words loud and raucous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness.

loud shouts of protest

When is stentorian a more appropriate choice than raucous?

The words stentorian and raucous can be used in similar contexts, but stentorian implies great power and range.

an actor with a stentorian voice

When might strident be a better fit than raucous?

In some situations, the words strident and raucous are roughly equivalent. However, strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice.

the strident voices of hecklers

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 raucous The event packed a 500 person-capacity theater and included frequent raucous applause. Preston Fore, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025 Gilgeous-Alexander briefly addressed the raucous crowd, offering thanks for the community’s unwavering support. Joe Vardon, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025 Lorde and Charli ended the duet together, joyously dancing and swinging their admittedly very similar long, dark curls in a moment of intense catharsis for both the artists and their raucous fans. Rachel Scharf, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2025 For a raucous night out, reserve a table at the sleek one-star Korean steakhouse Cote, an outpost of the popular New York City hotspot, known for its impressive banchan spread and premium cuts of beef grilled tableside. Sara Liss, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for raucous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raucous
Adjective
  • Despite the offensive skid in their final two home games of the year, Dodgers catcher Will Smith believes in his team's ability to pull out two wins in what should be a boisterous crowd at the Rogers Centre for Game 6 (and 7 if necessary).
    Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • While at the first school my penchant for being boisterous and chatty was seen as charming, the girls at school two just viewed me as a restless chatterbox.
    Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, the pilgrims became rowdy at their feast and began shooting into the air.
    Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Eventually, Ginger's playful touches turn to rowdy smacks on Jesse's behind.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The rallies feature rambunctious energy.
    Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
  • From there, Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson assumes the roles of beloved figures such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman as Public Enemy’s members trade bars over a rambunctious guitar loop.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • My appetite for more Lee is low, but Harjo’s Tulsa — cynical and lively at the same time — simmers with more to say.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Lomax not only wrote the song but also stars in the commercial, which portrays him enjoying the Biggie Bag combo meal, a scene that turns into a lively celebration of music and food.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 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
  • Weber installed bars in multiple disparate locations, and although the bars themselves did display signs of significant amounts of noise, Weber looked for correlations in these noisy signals between bars in different locations.
    Big Think, Big Think, 7 Nov. 2025
  • With fewer people having children, empathy toward parents—and patience for noisy, curious kids—has waned.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 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
  • Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
  • After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Raucous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raucous. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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