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
-
The Israeli interviewees in Theroux’s documentary are portrayed as boisterous and open about their plans to fully occupy the West Bank and promote Palestinian relocation.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Paycom Center, which seats 18,203 for Oklahoma City Thunder games, was filled with boisterous Nebraska fans.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the Bengsons’ essential expressive modes is the wake, whether in the Celtic or Creole tradition — the raucous celebration while death is in the room as an honored guest.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Both teams came in clutch during key moments, while matching the raucous energy of the crowd.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In a pair of especially rambunctious games between the Florida Panthers and the Lightning over the holidays, Douglas was in the middle of it, fighting Luke Kunin and Niko Mikkola.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Clever, funny and visually appealing, Daniel Chong’s nutty action comedy zips along, driven by rambunctious energy and a spirited Mark Mothersbaugh score.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Hurricanes said the rowdy atmosphere worked in their favor.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Sure, the space wasn’t originally built to host several thousand people looking to get rowdy with Willie and friends.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 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
-
Family discussions will be lively.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Outside of sports, the college town has a lively music scene, numerous craft breweries, and a variety of family-friendly activities, including the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and Bear Hollow Zoo.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Huang says his team was surprised to find visual cues can actually help people detect sounds in noisy environments like crowded spaces or busy streets.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
There are some tantalizing hints, but the data are just too noisy to draw any firm conclusions.—
Tim Folger,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The death of a star is usually thought to be a violent and hostile place, filled with scorching radiation that destroys fragile molecules.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, the county sued NaphCare for its alleged role in the death of Brandon Yates, who was murdered in the Central Jail in 2024 after being wrongly placed into a cell with a violent offender.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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