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.
“Ben!” comes a boisterous voice from the order window, bordered by flyers announcing next weekend’s Battle of the Bands.
From Literature
The tiny white and pink petals of cherry flowers, known as sakura, herald the start of spring in Japan, and full bloom ushers in a brief period of boisterous outdoor parties held by residents.
From Barron's
During that time, Magic continued to drop in, boisterous and loud as always, never a mention of the toboggan ride.
From Literature
On a boisterous Zoom call, we spoke about returning to their beloved characters.
From Los Angeles Times
As the celebrations of the boisterous home fans rolled down the wooden bleachers in this quirky arena - where Italy's Stefania Constantini learned the game as a child - the Scottish pair suffered their latest Olympic disappointment.
From BBC
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.
