rabble-rousing
Americanadjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of rabble-rousing
First recorded in 1795–1805
Explanation
A rabble-rousing politician deliberately gets their audience worked up into an angry frenzy. Sometimes a rabble-rousing speech even inspires listeners to violence. A skilled public speaker can powerfully capture people's attention and inspire them to take action, get involved, or vote a certain way. A rabble-rousing speaker does nearly the same thing, but their goal is to get a crowd aggressively angry. They do this by manipulating the audience's prejudices and fears. Rabble-rousing, which dates back to the early 19th century, is from rabble, "pack of animals," and rouse, "to stir up or awaken."
Vocabulary lists containing rabble-rousing
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.
She first gained attention as one of the rabble-rousing and much-hyped Young British Artists of the early 1990s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Desai added that he planned to balance that rabble-rousing spirit with productions that leaned more “celebratory and communal” and provided “different ways of having catharsis.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2026
Lisa is the rabble-rousing rock star, responsible for Blackpink's signature attitude, which she undercuts with a few well-timed winks to the camera.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025
Sinema’s political career began as a rabble-rousing anti-war activist.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
In those days, I was something of a rabble-rousing speaker.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
