adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of raucous
1760–70; < Latin raucus hoarse, harsh, rough; see -ous
Compare meaning
How does raucous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Raucous means unpleasantly loud, or behaving in a noisy and disorderly way. It can be hard to give an oral report in the front of a classroom when the kids in the back are being raucous. Raucous is often used to refer to loud laughter, loud voices, or a loud party, all of which can be harsh or unpleasant. Near synonyms are strident and rowdy. This adjective is from Latin raucus "hoarse." Think of raucous as people whose hoarseness can't come on too soon.
Vocabulary lists containing raucous
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Book Thief
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Death of a Salesman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the October 2, 2025, print edition as 'Rossini’s Raucous ‘Il Viaggio a Reims’'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025
Raucous home crowds have become a staple of Ryder Cups and while most of the partisan support is good natured, it can, occasionally cross the line.
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025
Raucous Fourth of July celebrations disperse the virus from Provincetown, Mass., to dozens of places across the country, sometimes carried by fully vaccinated celebrants.
From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2021
Raucous & joyous crowds every nite on B’way- & u missed out!
From Washington Post • Oct. 29, 2017
Raucous laughter broke out followed by wild applause.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
