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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
The team, after all, is 13-1-3 at home this season — and throughout its four-season tenure has a remarkable home record furnished by one of the most beautifully boisterous fanbases in all of MLS.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
-
My version is joyous chaos, filled with boisterous friends, rarely featuring a turkey, often ending with cake.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Superstar Shohei Ohtani launched a two-run shot to cut the lead down to 11-4, but the momentum still appeared to be on the Blue Jays' side in a raucous Rogers Centre.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
And that all came into play in Game 1, as the Jays thrashed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-4, at a raucous Rogers Centre on Friday night.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first dog that left Pecos in a plane was a sweet, rambunctious stray that Wright called Felicia.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
-
During YoungBoy’s latest performance on Thursday, the rapper paused his rowdy setlist to address a rambunctious fan in the crowd who kept throwing items onstage.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Before long, Norm had a crew — The Invisibles— a rowdy group of personified conditions who blow off steam at a biker bar.—
David Soren,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
There also are those worried about player and staff safety as rowdy revelers stomp onto the field.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 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
-
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
-
In the evening, the rooftop Art Bar came alive with DJs, creative cocktails, and a lively social atmosphere that catered to generations both young and old.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Both the jitterbug and Lindy Hop (which is often referred to as the granddaddy of the swing era dances) are lively, energetic swing dances that involve quick spins, sharp footwork and pure joy between a pair to a booming live band playing.—
Alexa Stone
Updated October 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even standard news programming is as noisy and disjointed as the output of a Bloomberg terminal.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Murray & His Blood Brothers, a blues-rock outfit comprised of singers and guitarists Mike Zito, Albert Castiglia and Jimmy Vivino, delivered a night of raucous, noisy blues and covers to the historic 2,360-person venue.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Once again, the debate in the book is not over whether or not people should be violent.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As a result, many legends are connected to its violent past, and its dungeon, in particular, is said to be haunted by tortured souls.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share