rowdy 1 of 2

adjective

ˈrau̇-dē How to pronounce rowdy (audio)
Definition of rowdynext
as in boisterous
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way a rowdy but good-natured group of teenagers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rowdy

2 of 2

noun

as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang rowdies had overtaken the neighborhood and were threatening people on the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 rowdy
Adjective
There was no doubt about this home run, which went 401 feet and landed in front of the rowdiest, most dedicated section of the stadium bleachers. — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 The Arizona State student section, 12,000 strong and rowdy at kickoff, was down to less than 100 diehards midway through the fourth quarter. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Not to mention her infamously rowdy rooftop interview at the 1995 VMAs, throwing shade with Courtney Love and Kurt Loder. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 Authorities are urging people to avoid an herbal extract found during their investigations into the deaths of two students – one on and one off campus – at the University of Mississippi following a rowdy weekend centered on a major football rivalry. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rowdy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rowdy
  1. boisterous
  2. thug
  3. raucous
  4. criminal
  5. rambunctious
  6. tough
  7. noisy
  8. gangster
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
Noun
  • The other was Albrecht Hohler, thirty, a Communist member of the paramilitary group the Red Front Fighters and well known locally as a particularly vicious thug—a petty criminal who had been released from jail only a few months earlier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thug
Adjective
  • Williams scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half and the Valkyries celebrated their first championship — in their second season in the league — in front of their raucous Ballhalla home crowd.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But in those days, battle scenes were always accompanied by kind of raucous music.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of raucous
Noun
  • The trailers were recovered by police nearby, presumably after the criminals cut the locks to reveal they were each loaded with 20,000 pounds of sand.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Without changing state law, criminals can continue to be sentenced to death in California.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of criminal
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
Noun
  • Déclassé warriors, sometimes joined by street toughs from other walks of life, gave themselves the airs of swashbuckling samurai.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And Susan Collins, as Democrats have seen time and time again, is a real tough out.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 21 June 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Avoid rows near galleys and lavatories, which tend to be noisy and bright.
    — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2026
  • It’s typically done by helicopters, which are costly, noisy, and polluting.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of noisy
Noun
  • All those old Warner Brothers gangster movies were always playing on TV.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Capone associates lined up six members of Moran's gang, and a seventh unaffiliated man who apparently liked hanging out with gangsters, against the north wall of the garage.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of gangster

Browse Nearby Words

rowdiness
rowdy
rowdyish
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Cite this Entry

“Rowdy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rowdy. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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