roister

as in to carouse
to take part in drunken revelry the earl's wastrel son had spent the best part of his youth roistering and gambling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 roister One of his sons, Thomas (Dean-Charles Chapman), though hardly old enough to be in long pants, wears shining armor, while the other son, Hal (Timothée Chalamet), is a slouch who wastes his life in roistering. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roister
Verb
  • These increasingly crazed visitors spend their days lazing on the shore, drinking and eating, carousing with prostitutes, and abusing Rosa (played by B-movie actress Leonora Fani, who would also star in the equally notorious vacation film Giallo in Venice) for their own entertainment.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
  • That night, Noonan caroused at the hotel bar with James Collopy, the district superintendent of the civil-aviation board.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • At school, nothing was more shameful to me than seeing my father drinking from the water fountain, sucking and gulping.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • At the first mention of the Trump’s name, Straus sighs and grabs her drink off the bar, taking a long sip.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Milan’s Chukwueze revelled on this stage, exciting fans further with a number skilful runs on the ball.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 1 June 2025
  • First up, while people are revelling following the verdict, the emotional intensity of reaction can be traced to a sense of loss.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Or, on the other hand, fans may have been waiting for the upcoming July 4 holiday to binge the show, taking advantage of the downtime.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Check out our guides to the best new thrillers and celebrity memoirs to binge, or pick a romance from our recent roundup.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • There was sea salt in the air, and sleepless seagulls were birling in the darkness overhead.
    Douglas Stuart, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020
  • Another, unable to reach dry land, dug his spiked boots into a slippery timber and birled downriver.
    Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019
Verb
  • Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park.
    Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
  • This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
    BHG Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Roister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roister. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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