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
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
Ausilia, destined for spinsterhood, switches her spying from the lovers to the rumbustious, intimidating Jewish family who gather around the couple.
—Tim Parks, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
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
Ausilia, destined for spinsterhood, switches her spying from the lovers to the rumbustious, intimidating Jewish family who gather around the couple.
—Tim Parks, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious
Adjective
-
During the past decade, Tranter has established himself as one of the music industry’s most reliable hitmakers, thanks to his clever, boisterous lyricism and dramatic, over-the-top choruses and hooks.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Yes, Yankee Stadium was packed and boisterous, just as this place and the old place have been for decades of postseasons.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
From the moment it was announced the Ryder Cup would come to New York, many expected a raucous crowd that could rival the 1999 Brookline crowd in Massachusetts for the most hostile toward Europeans.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
This raucous feast for the senses stars Farrell as a wild gambler slowly losing it all.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Thanks to the anti-slip bottom, the couch won’t shift around when your rambunctious pet hops into it.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Meeting at the family home just before the funeral, Anne (Emily Fairn), the only girl sibling, encourages her rambunctious brothers to at least pretend to be a united front in public.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Joe Nipote voiced Uncle Stretch, the rowdy leader of the Ghostly Trio, in Casper.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The Swamp is notoriously rowdy and spirited, but there’s still plenty for families to do in Gainesville, game day or not.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 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
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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
-
Throughout an offseason devoted to expansive training, that spirit was on full display — including during the lively knockout games at Prentiss’ gym.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Discussions about the fast-changing international TV distribution market are ten-a-penny at industry conferences, but the group made a lively and worthwhile contribution to the pantheon.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This simple yet powerful step turned noisy, unreliable photon signals into clean bursts of single photons — a breakthrough for future quantum technologies.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
-
How to stand out in such a noisy season?—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While Memphis has seen high numbers of violent crimes such as homicides and carjackings in recent years, Democratic and Republican officials have noted decreases this year in some crime categories.—
Devon M. Sayers,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Even so, to take on one of the most famous women in history — and through a lens so bloody and violent — is a mighty tall order.—
Shirley Halperin,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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