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
-
Despite the offensive skid in their final two home games of the year, Dodgers catcher Will Smith believes in his team's ability to pull out two wins in what should be a boisterous crowd at the Rogers Centre for Game 6 (and 7 if necessary).—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
While at the first school my penchant for being boisterous and chatty was seen as charming, the girls at school two just viewed me as a restless chatterbox.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
27 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 rallies feature rambunctious energy.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
From there, Olympian water polo player Ashleigh Johnson assumes the roles of beloved figures such as Prince, Tommie Smith, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman as Public Enemy’s members trade bars over a rambunctious guitar loop.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, the pilgrims became rowdy at their feast and began shooting into the air.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Eventually, Ginger's playful touches turn to rowdy smacks on Jesse's behind.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 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
-
My appetite for more Lee is low, but Harjo’s Tulsa — cynical and lively at the same time — simmers with more to say.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Lomax not only wrote the song but also stars in the commercial, which portrays him enjoying the Biggie Bag combo meal, a scene that turns into a lively celebration of music and food.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
During the diagnostic test, Firestone employees noted the engine was noisy, barely ran and burned oil, according to Pittman's paperwork.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
And Latin American cultures are noisy.—
Tamara Hardingham-Gill,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
-
After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share