boisterous
Americanadjective
-
rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained.
the sound of boisterous laughter.
- Synonyms:
- wild, violent, turbulent, tumultuous, tempestuous, impetuous, vociferous, loud, obstreperous, uproarious
-
(of waves, weather, wind, etc.) rough and stormy.
- Synonyms:
- wild, violent, turbulent, tumultuous, tempestuous
-
Obsolete. rough and massive.
adjective
-
noisy and lively; unrestrained or unruly
-
(of the wind, sea, etc) turbulent or stormy
Other Word Forms
- boisterously adverb
- boisterousness noun
- unboisterous adjective
- unboisterously adverb
- unboisterousness noun
Etymology
Origin of boisterous
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English boistrous, variant of Middle English boistous “crude, fierce, gross, strong”; of obscure origin; possibly from Old French boisteus “lame,” from boist(e) “box,” also “cavity containing an organ, cavity in a bone” (ultimately from Late Latin buxis; box 1 ( def. ) ) + -eus -eous ( def. )
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.
So dynamic and so boisterous is the experience of the entrance that the rest of the building cannot help but feel anticlimactic.
He said Harry had been a normal "boisterous and exuberant" 16-year-old who was "full of charm".
From BBC
It was a show of defiance towards the boisterous Leeds crowd, and a symbol of the Kangaroos affirming their authority.
From BBC
And, despite the boisterous nature of Russian announcements, their military value is ambiguous.
From BBC
As Frank Costanza, the temperamental father of Jason Alexander’s George Costanza, Stiller’s boisterous personality and comic timing stole scenes and scored the actor an Emmy nomination, 40 years into his career.
From Salon
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.
