adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of raucous
1760–70; < Latin raucus hoarse, harsh, rough; see -ous
Compare meaning
How does raucous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Raucous means unpleasantly loud, or behaving in a noisy and disorderly way. It can be hard to give an oral report in the front of a classroom when the kids in the back are being raucous. Raucous is often used to refer to loud laughter, loud voices, or a loud party, all of which can be harsh or unpleasant. Near synonyms are strident and rowdy. This adjective is from Latin raucus "hoarse." Think of raucous as people whose hoarseness can't come on too soon.
Vocabulary lists containing raucous
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Book Thief
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Death of a Salesman
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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.
The game, taking place in the city where Messi plays his club soccer for Inter Miami, was played in front of almost entirely Argentina die-hards, whose raucous roars shook the stadium concrete.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
Ibadan-trained talent has also been known to spill over into the country's raucous, fast-paced film industry, known as Nollywood, which is said to produce around 200 films per month.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
When the Americans took an early lead on an own goal from Australia, the crowd broke into a raucous cheer that gave way to chants of “USA! USA!”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Shaun Ryder and Roses Gabor assisted on a raucous version of Dare!
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
She could hear the raucous, scrambled world inside his head.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
