clamor

¹

especially British, clam·our

[klam-er]

noun

1. a loud uproar, as from a crowd of people.

   the clamor of the crowd at the gates.

2. a vehement expression of desire or dissatisfaction.

   the clamor of the proponents of the law.

   Synonyms: vociferation

3. popular outcry.

   The senators could not ignore the clamor against higher taxation.

4. any loud and continued noise: the clamor of birds and animals in the zoo.

   the clamor of traffic;

   the clamor of birds and animals in the zoo.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a clamor; raise an outcry.

verb (used with object)

1. to drive, force, influence, etc., by clamoring.

   The newspapers clamored him out of office.

2. to utter noisily.

   They clamored their demands at the meeting.

clamor

²

[klam-er]

verb (used with object)

Obsolete.

1. to silence.

Spelling Note

See -or.

Other Word Forms

• clamorer noun
• clamorist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clamor¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English clamor (from Anglo-French ), from Latin, equivalent to clām- ( claim ) + -or -or ¹; Middle English clamour, from Middle French, from Latin clāmōr- (stem of clāmor )

Origin of clamor²

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps spelling variant of clammer, obsolete variant of clamber in sense “to clutch,” hence “reduce to silence”

Synonym Study

See noise.

Example Sentences

But I’ve yet to hear a good explanation why certain athletes can handle the clamor of a crowd and others need laboratory conditions.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

So more than two decades after the start of the story, many fans are clamoring for another slice of Stars Hollow life.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Last March, that’s what Democratic voters were clamoring for when Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rounded up votes to defeat the filibuster, infuriating the base and many of his own senators.

Read more on Salon

Horseradish isn’t clamoring to burn your mouth off.

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This version alleges that South America “has been clamoring to unify” under corporate rule.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• agitation 
• brouhaha 
• buzz 
• ferment 
• hubbub 
• noise 
• outcry 
• ruckus 
• tumult 
• upheaval 
• uproar