First Known Use: 1769
Dictionary
raucous
adjective rau·cous \ˈrȯ-kəs\
: loud and unpleasant to listen to
: behaving in a very rough and noisy way
Full Definition of RAUCOUS
2
: boisterously disorderly <a …raucous frontier town — Truman Capote>
— rau·cous·ly adverb
— rau·cous·ness noun
See raucous defined for English-language learners
See raucous defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Examples of RAUCOUS
- He stepped over one man, avoided a raucous group of inebriated merchant seamen staggering for their boats, ran up his steps into the large foyer … —James Clavell, Gai-Jin, 1994
- The scene was reminiscent of a college fraternity reunion, with plenty of backslapping, joking, hugging and raucous laughter. —Lewis Beale, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 1987
- On the ledge of rock above this strange couple there stood three solemn buzzards, who, at the sight of the new comers uttered raucous screams of disappointment and flapped sullenly away. —Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887
- [+]more
Origin of RAUCOUS
Latin raucus hoarse; akin to Latin ravis hoarseness
Related to RAUCOUS
- Synonyms
- hell-raising, knockabout, rambunctious, boisterous, robustious, roisterous, rollicking, rowdy, rumbustious [chiefly British]
- Antonyms
- orderly
Synonym Discussion of RAUCOUS
loud, stentorian, earsplitting, raucous, strident mean marked by intensity or volume of sound. loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness <loud shouts of protest>. stentorian implies great power and range <an actor with a stentorian voice>. earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting <the earsplitting sound of a siren>. raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness <the raucous shouts of drunken revelers>. strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice <the strident voices of hecklers>.
RAUCOUS Defined for Kids
raucous
adjective rau·cous \ˈrȯ-kəs\
Definition of RAUCOUS for Kids
1
: loud and harsh <raucous laughter>
2
: behaving in a rough and noisy way <a raucous crowd>
— rau·cous·ly adverb
Learn More About RAUCOUS
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: rauk (verb)Previous Word in the Dictionary: raucleAll Words Near: raucous
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up raucous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).