carouse

American  

[kuh-rouz] / kəˈraʊz /

verb (used without object)

caroused, carousing

1. to engage in a drunken revel.

   They caroused all night.

   Synonyms:

   drink, celebrate, revel

2. to drink deeply and frequently.

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noun

1. carousal.

carouse British  

/ kəˈraʊz /

verb

1. (intr) to have a merry drinking spree; drink freely

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noun

1. another word for carousal

Other Word Forms

• carouser noun
• carousing noun

Etymology

Origin of carouse

First recorded in 1550–60; variant of garouse, from German gar aus (trinken) “(to drink) fully out,” i.e., “to drain the cup”; compare Middle French carous, from dialectal German gar ūs

Explanation

Carouse means to drink a lot of alcohol and behave in a loud, exuberant way. The neighbors will not appreciate it if you and your friends carouse in the backyard until dawn. Carouse comes from the German gar aus trinken meaning “all out," “drain the cup” or “drink up.” The English adopted the word in the 16th century, and it came to mean “sitting around drinking until closing time.” A noisy drinking party is sometimes called a carouse.

Example Sentences

We've compiled our most Oktoberfest-approved recipes for those who want to carouse from home.

From Salon • Aug. 25, 2022

Young adults in Texas’ capital city carouse and cavort in the new reality series “Twentysomethings: Austin.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2021

In order to define gin, however, or to pronounce on its universal impact, it’s not enough to bemoan the excesses of the past or to carouse amid the wares of the present.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 2, 2019

Nor did he carouse with his more exhibitionistic contemporaries at Cedar Tavern, participate in splashy happenings or attract art-world gossip.

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2018

Let them play poker and carouse all they wanted, all Jean Louise wanted was for the old house to be taken care of.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee