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
Derived Forms
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; see box 1 ( def. )) + -eus -eous ( def. )
Explanation
Boisterous is a word used to describe someone spirited, loud, and slightly out of control — like someone with a spring in their step and a song in their heart singing to strangers on the street. Boisterous means "loud, clamorous, and unrestrained." Think of children on a playground or a lively party or a litter of puppies as boisterous. This word, which comes from Middle English, can also refer to very intense storms. You could call a hurricane boisterous, but you will most likely hear this word used to describe people.
Vocabulary lists containing boisterous
100 Top "SAT" Words
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"The Lottery," Vocabulary from the short story
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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
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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.
Boisterous celebrations have also been held in the neighbouring country of Nepal.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024
Winner–Flying to the Line B.f.3 by Boisterous out of Sky Diver, by Tale of the Cat.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2019
Boisterous on the sidelines, Klopp ensured his team was similarly expressive on the pitch with high-energy, attacking football.
From Seattle Times • May 24, 2018
Boisterous pods of his countrymen seem intent on keeping Akakura’s bars in the black.
From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2016
The second one was of a picture of some mountains and it told about a band named “H. E. Bonnegut and the Boisterous Big Band of Berlin,” who were the “Masters of All We Behold.”
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
