as in boisterous
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way
while American university debates tend to be sedate affairs, their counterparts in Oxford are wholeheartedly rumbustious
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Recent Examples of rumbustious
In the crowd at that rumbustious Democratic Convention in 1896 was a journeyman journalist, L. Frank Baum, who had a number of careers behind him by that time.
—
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
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
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
The tech titans, with their somewhat rumbustious Bay Area staffers, look quite vulnerable.
—The Economist, 22 June 2020
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
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
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
The tech titans, with their somewhat rumbustious Bay Area staffers, look quite vulnerable.
—The Economist, 22 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious
Adjective
-
As a row of kids delighted in mixing cotton candy and frozen lemonade into an only-at-the-ballpark dessert, the usher alerted the parents that a mass of boisterous and predominantly shirtless men soon would be assembling in a nearby section.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The legendary band played a short but boisterous set after with The Roots drummer joining.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Normally, in an arena, that would include sizzle reels, hype videos and raucous music.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
After concluding his speech to raucous applause, Lahn went around the room to speak with supporters, take photos, and give autographs.—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The disputes reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Fortunately God gave her a rambunctious voice and unwavering confidence.—
Ilana Frost,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mexican authorities have previously expressed fears they could be used as weapons by rowdy fans.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
The Knicks defeated the Spurs, 105-104, in dramatic fashion to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the 2026 NBA Finals — and the next two games are back at home, in front of the rowdiest, most passionate fan base in all of professional sports.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
Food and drink The lobby lounge always seems to have a coffee and cocktail menu at hand, and that’s why the area stays lively from morning to night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Also enjoy tours of the Nectar Garden, lively puppet shows, special presentations about pollinators, family-friendly nature crafts and live music.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
As mentioned, the original system was very noisy and would often spontaneously change parity state every 10 milliseconds or less.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
-
The hotel is smaller and more sophisticated than the noisy all-inclusives further down the beach with a focus on fine dining and chic interior design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, the environment, climate change and other news.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
His drawling, winking charm is front and center, and his attraction to our heroine feels both genuine and even quite protective, but his violent streak is so blasé as to be unnerving.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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