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 Catherine, Anna Calder-Marshall is wonderfully earthy and boisterous.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Chris Jackson / Getty Images And he will also have been given guidance on his fellow prince, who unlike William is not part of a constitutional monarchy answerable to lawmakers and open to criticism from an often boisterous free press.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters’ section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters' section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bagatelle is the slightly more rambunctious option.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Looking for a more romantic, less rambunctious dinner?—
Molly Barstein,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Set between a rowdy wedding in the French countryside and a death commemoration ritual in a tiny African village, the film focuses on an extended clan that’s united, and sometimes divided, by the two major events taking place over the course of the movie.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
At several times, the crowd turned rowdy and shouted down the hearing examiner.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
12 Feb. 2026
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
-
Foot traffic at restaurants, shops and mosques sharply declined, turning once-lively economic and social hubs into ghost towns, and threatening to cripple the livelihood of an entire community.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The lively City Hall gala was Boston’s third official celebration since the city formally recognized the day as a holiday in 2023, and attendees marked the occasion with a range of artistic showcases and performances.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The world was a noisy, crowded place in that era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
This is the best place both to hear the speech (otherwise the room is too noisy) and to watch the faces of people gathered around the screens.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lastly, some members of the mainstream media’s reports on the violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis have been draped in gross mischaracterizations and gaping omissions.—
Michael Zais,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The president’s recent announcement of progress has been somewhat overshadowed by violent crimes making headlines daily.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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