rouse

¹ American  

[rouz] / raʊz /

verb (used with object)

roused, rousing

1. to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc..

   He was roused to action by courageous words.

   Synonyms:

   inflame, kindle, awaken, stimulate, animate, excite, stir, arouse

   Antonyms:

   pacify, calm, lull

2. to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.

   Synonyms:

   anger, provoke

3. to cause (game) to start from a covert or lair.

4. Nautical Now Rare. to pull by main strength; haul.

---

verb (used without object)

roused, rousing

1. to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.

2. to start up from a covert or lair, as game.

noun

1. a rousing.

2. a signal for rousing; reveille.

rouse ² American  

[rouz] / raʊz /

noun

1. Archaic. a carouse.

2. Obsolete. a bumper of liquor.

---

rouse ¹ British  

/ ˈraʊzɪdnɪs, raʊz /

verb

1. to bring (oneself or another person) out of sleep, unconsciousness, etc, or (of a person) to come to consciousness in this way

2. (tr) to provoke, stir, or excite

   to rouse someone's anger

3. to become active or energetic

4. hunting to start or cause to start from cover

   to rouse game birds

5. (intr) falconry (of hawks) to ruffle the feathers and cause them to stand briefly on end (a sign of contentment)

6. to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)

---

noun

1. another term for reveille

rouse ² British  

/ raʊz /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure

2. another word for carousal

---

Related Words

See incite.

Other Word Forms

• rousedness noun
• rouser noun
• unroused adjective

Etymology

Origin of rouse¹

First recorded in 1425–75 in sense “(of a hawk) to shake the feathers”; 1525–35 rouse ¹ for def. 3; origin uncertain

Origin of rouse²

First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps variant of carouse ( drink carouse being wrongly analyzed as drink a rouse )

Example Sentences

These alarm clocks have novel ways to rouse deep sleepers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Product designers are coming up with novel ways to rouse deep sleepers that border on diabolical, including clocks that deliver 300-volt electric shocks and donate snoozers’ money to charity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Product designers are hatching new ways to rouse them that border on diabolical.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her feathers roused and she let out “tea kettle whistles.”

From Los Angeles Times

However, a rousing response from the reigning champions underlined their credentials.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitate
• arouse
• awaken
• disturb
• fire up
• galvanize
• heighten
• incite
• inflame
• kindle
• provoke
• rile
• startle
• stir
• trigger
• wake up
• whip up
• work up