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.
When rabble-rousing Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie wanted to make good on Republican campaign messaging.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Universally acclaimed as the set of the weekend, the performance confirmed Rodrigo as a generational talent, equally at ease with lighters-aloft balladry, and rabble-rousing pop-punk antics.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
On its surface, a 36-year-old football player teaming up with rabble-rousing investors might seem as unlikely as getting engaged to the world’s most famous pop star after talking about her on a podcast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025
A rabble-rousing activist with roots in L.A.’s labor movement, he had entered Eastside politics as Molina’s representative on what later became the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
Maybe all hospitals should import groups of rabble-rousing punk rockers to kick-start the languishing patients’ hearts.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
