riot

American  

[rahy-uht] / ˈraɪ ət /

noun

• riots
  plural

1. a noisy, violent public disorder caused by a group or crowd of persons, as by a crowd protesting against another group, a government policy, etc., in the streets.

   Synonyms:

   melee, fray, brawl, outbreak

2. Law. a disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons acting together in a disrupting and tumultuous manner in carrying out their private purposes.

3. violent or wild disorder or confusion.

   Synonyms:

   disturbance, tumult, uproar

4. a brilliant display.

   a riot of color.

5. something or someone hilariously funny.

   You were a riot at the party.

6. unrestrained revelry.

7. an unbridled outbreak, as of emotions, passions, etc.

8. Archaic. loose, wanton living; profligacy.

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verb (used without object)

• riots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rioted,
  past participle,  past
• rioting
  present participle

1. to take part in a riot or disorderly public outbreak.

   Synonyms:

   fight, brawl

2. to live in a loose or wanton manner; indulge in unrestrained revelry.

   Many of the Roman emperors rioted notoriously.

   Synonyms:

   carouse

3. Hunting. (of a hound or pack) to pursue an animal other than the intended quarry.

4. to indulge unrestrainedly; run riot.

verb (used with object)

• riots,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rioted,
  past participle,  past
• rioting
  present participle

1. to spend (money, time, etc.) in riotous living (usually followed by away orout ).

idioms

1. run riot,

   1. to act without control or restraint.

      The neighbors let their children run riot.

   2. to grow luxuriantly or abundantly.

      Crab grass is running riot in our lawn.

riot British  

/ ˈraɪət /

noun

1. 1. a disturbance made by an unruly mob or (in law) three or more persons; tumult or uproar

   2. ( as modifier )

      a riot gun

      riot police

      a riot shield

2. boisterous activity; unrestrained revelry

3. an occasion of boisterous merriment

4. slang a person who occasions boisterous merriment

5. a dazzling or arresting display

   a riot of colour

6. hunting the indiscriminate following of any scent by hounds

7. archaic wanton lasciviousness

8. 1. to behave wildly and without restraint

   2. (of plants) to grow rankly or profusely

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verb

1. (intr) to take part in a riot

2. (intr) to indulge in unrestrained revelry or merriment

3. to spend (time or money) in wanton or loose living

   he has rioted away his life

riot More Idioms  

1. see read the riot act; run amok (riot).

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Usage

What does riot mean? A riot is a situation in which people in a crowd are engaging in violence and/or destruction in the streets or another public space. Riots often involve two or more groups fighting, or one group causing destruction. Riot can also be used as a verb meaning to participate in a riot. Members of the crowd who do this can be called rioters. The word rioting can be used as both a verb and a noun. Violent protests are sometimes called riots. But the term riot is often extremely loaded and used in a way that’s intended to be dismissive of protests and portray protesters as lawless, destructive, or violent. Specifically, the term has been frequently used to portray African American protesters in this way, such as during mass demonstrations. For example, one may try to discredit a protest by calling it a riot or to discredit protesters by calling them rioters. This especially happens when people conflate a protest with other things happening around it, such as looting. The word riot is also used in a much different way to refer to something very funny, especially in the phrase laugh riot. The term implies that it results in intense, unrestrained laughter. Example: The riot outside the stadium left dozens of people injured, along with widespread damage to cars in the parking lot.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterrioter
  noun
• nonrioter
  noun
• rioter
  noun
• rioting
  noun
• antiriot
  adjective
• nonrioting
  adjective
• unrioting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• riots
  plural

Participles

• rioting
  present
• rioted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• riot
  simple
• riots
  simple
• have rioted
  perfect
• has rioted
  perfect
• am rioting
  progressive
• are rioting
  progressive
• is rioting
  progressive
• have been rioting
  perfect progressive
• has been rioting
  perfect progressive

Past

• rioted
  simple
• had rioted
  perfect
• was rioting
  progressive
• were rioting
  progressive
• had been rioting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will riot
  simple
• will have rioted
  perfect
• will be rioting
  progressive
• will have been rioting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of riot

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English: debauchery, revel, violent disturbance < Old French riot ( e ) debate, dispute, quarrel, derivative of rihoter, riot ( t ) er to quarrel; (v.) Middle English rioten < Old French rihoter, riot ( t ) er

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Explanation

A riot is a violent outburst by a crowd. When the principal didn't declare a snow day, even with five inches on the ground already, students rioted, gathering outside and throwing snowballs. The meaning of riot has stretched over the years. You would say "She is a riot" about a funny or outrageous person. A loud clothing combination might represent a riot of texture and color. When something runs riot, it has been allowed to get out of control.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

riot riots rioted rioting

A police union source said he picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Vince . . . basically threatened to fire me if I ever brought it up again and read me the riot act,” Ventura explained on The Steve Austin Show.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

It was initially imposed following a riot during the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Where, literally, would Angelenos be without the flying eyes that guide us to our destinations through our traffic mangles and bring us close to mayhem, riot and fire?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

But then lining the sidewalk outside the station, blocking the entrance to the turnstiles, was a row of cops in riot gear.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

His Red Special presidential campaign train in 1908 and his Socialist Party conventions were riots of red flags, pennants and bunting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Before the student riots kicked off, there was a one-day national strike by civil servants, firefighters and others to protest government-wage freezes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The episode of Panorama spliced together two sections of a speech he delivered in 2021, shortly before the Capitol riots on 6 January.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

It was created by the California Legislature in 1968 after the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, ostensibly to curb redlining by banks, home sellers and insurers in minority neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

I was at Columbia during the student riots of 1968 and later at Berkeley during the Cambodian invasion.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

When prisoners rioted over the conditions, their eloquent spokesman Jones was extensively quoted in the press, catching the attention of a church leader.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025

Dunn said officers wanted acknowledgment for those members of law enforcement who were present at the insurrection, as well as accountability from those who rioted.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025

Hearst’s desperate father, publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, spent $2 million on a food giveaway, and crowds rioted as food was flung from trucks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2024

In October 1962, federal marshals escorted Meredith as he enrolled as the first Black student at the University of Mississippi, while white people rioted on the Oxford campus.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2023

The streets rioted in all directions, twisting around in a confusing way.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

It’s easy to scoff at French rioting as its national past time, but what’s unfolding now is different.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

These were years of imperial crisis, political unrest and popular rioting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Perhaps the most notable intervention came on Wednesday, after the worst night of rioting.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

"Our officers have a role to facilitate and accommodate peaceful protest," he said, while cautioning against a repeat of widespread anti-immigrant rioting last June.

From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026

Now, I have been around: the racial rioting in South Africa, hosting embassy parties in Brazzaville, shopping in Paris and Brussels, the game animals in Kenya, I have seen it all.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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Related Words

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