roar
Americanverb (used without object)
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roars,
present (3rd person singular)
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roared,
past participle, past
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roaring
present participle
-
to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.
-
to laugh loudly or boisterously.
to roar at a joke.
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to make a loud sound or din, as thunder, cannon, waves, or wind.
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to function or move with a loud, deep sound, as a vehicle.
The automobile roared away.
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to make a loud noise in breathing, as a horse.
verb (used with object)
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roars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
roared,
past participle, past
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roaring
present participle
-
to utter or express in a roar.
to roar denials.
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to bring, put, make, etc., by roaring.
to roar oneself hoarse.
noun
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roars
plural
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a loud, deep cry or howl, as of an animal or a person.
the roar of a lion.
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a loud, confused, constant noise or sound; din; clamor.
the roar of the surf; the roar of lively conversation from the crowded party.
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a loud outburst.
a roar of laughter; a roar of approval from the audience.
verb
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(of lions and other animals) to utter characteristic loud growling cries
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(also tr) (of people) to utter (something) with a loud deep cry, as in anger or triumph
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to laugh in a loud hearty unrestrained manner
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(of horses) to breathe with laboured rasping sounds See roaring
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(of the wind, waves, etc) to blow or break loudly and violently, as during a storm
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(of a fire) to burn fiercely with a roaring sound
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(of a machine, gun, etc) to operate or move with a loud harsh noise
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(tr) to bring (oneself) into a certain condition by roaring
to roar oneself hoarse
noun
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a loud deep cry, uttered by a person or crowd, esp in anger or triumph
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a prolonged loud cry of certain animals, esp lions
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any similar noise made by a fire, the wind, waves, artillery, an engine, etc
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a loud unrestrained burst of laughter
Synonym Usage
See cry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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roarsimple
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roarssimple
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have roaredperfect
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has roaredperfect
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am roaringprogressive
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are roaringprogressive
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is roaringprogressive
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have been roaringperfect progressive
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has been roaringperfect progressive
Past
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roaredsimple
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had roaredperfect
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was roaringprogressive
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were roaringprogressive
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had been roaringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of roar
before 900; Middle English roren (v.), Old English rārian; cognate with Old High German rēren to bellow
Explanation
To roar is to make a ferociously loud sound, like a lion or a tiger. If you go to a football game, you'll hear the crowd roar whenever their team scores a goal. A wild animal roars when it makes its long, full cry, and a person (or a thing) can emit a similar roar. Your boisterous uncle roars with laughter, and the frustrated substitute teacher might roar angrily at the class. Motorcycles sometimes roar down the street, and a judge might silence a courtroom when she roars, "Order!" Roar can also act as a noun, meaning the sound itself — like the roar of the crowd that drowns out your voice. Roar comes from an imitative Old English root.
Vocabulary lists containing roar
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Yelping and Yowling: Synonyms for "Cry"
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That's the Way the Wind Blows
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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.
See Examples For:
With a cavitating roar, the CrossWave stood up on its tail, throwing Roz backward, her arms wrapped around my neck in a rear naked chokehold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The supersonic aircraft are a key part of the US's combat arsenal, and produce a notoriously loud roar when they pass by.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
But these sights are drained of their warmth, depicted with a cold, eerie hum that, when it bleeds into the roar of suffering miles away, becomes a deafening cacophony.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
Pacing before our row of tents while everyone else is asleep, I aim the sat phone at the constellations and roar at the animals back home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
At that exact same moment, there was a terrifying roar that shook the metal building and reverberated inside Chase’s chest and all the way down to his toes.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Lucy Matthews drives a 1994 Jeep Wrangler that doesn’t have air conditioning, roars as loud as a tractor and absolutely guzzles gasoline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The result can be heard in songs like the hard-driving “Is It Real?” in which Hollywell roars about mental illness and divine intervention, while Santos coats it all in steel honey.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
She was quick to voice her frustration as her performance dropped off, throwing her arms up, letting out guttural roars and unleashing her fury on her team.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
She zipped to The WSJ Money Interview in a Cadillac Escalade outfitted with an engine that roars like a race car and retails for around $180,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
She roars, panicked, throwing her head and fishing inside her mouth with her trunk.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Fifth last season was reasonable, but it must have felt nightmarish to Hibs fans as Hearts roared on and threatened to win the league.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
My neighbors and I watched in horror as flames roared from the Twin Towers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Now, nearly two years to the day after the September 2024 fire roared through, authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Increasingly confident to take the initiative, she was roared on by a partisan but disappointingly small home crowd.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Standing next to her, breathing hard, as the police and fire engines and ambulances roared up around us, my arm still around her waist, I turned and smiled.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
When most comics walk on stage before a roaring audience at a sold-out show, as if they’re the star of their own movie, it is intoxicating for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Earplugs are encouraged there to guard against the roaring sound from the servers when up close.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
A record crowd of 31,944 were at the Amex Stadium to witness it, roaring their side on to the most comprehensive of 3-0 wins.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
KATHMANDU, Nepal—When a flood came roaring down from the mountains last year, Nepali engineer Santosh Adhikari narrowly escaped by scrambling to higher ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
We’ve seen reports of what’s been happening in other cities, and the air raid sirens have been roaring here lately.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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