riot

A riot is a situation in which people in a crowd are engaging in violence and/or destruction in the streets or another public space.

Riots often involve two or more groups fighting, or one group causing destruction.

Riot can also be used as a verb meaning to participate in a riot. Members of the crowd who do this can be called rioters. The word rioting can be used as both a verb and a noun.

Violent protests are sometimes called riots. But the term riot is often extremely loaded and used in a way that’s intended to be dismissive of protests and portray protesters as lawless, destructive, or violent. Specifically, the term has been frequently used to portray African American protesters in this way, such as during mass demonstrations. For example, one may try to discredit a protest by calling it a riot or to discredit protesters by calling them rioters. This especially happens when people conflate a protest with other things happening around it, such as looting.

The word riot is also used in a much different way to refer to something very funny, especially in the phrase laugh riot. The term implies that it results in intense, unrestrained laughter.

Example: The riot outside the stadium left dozens of people injured, along with widespread damage to cars in the parking lot.

The first records of the word riot come from around 1200. In Middle English, the word was used to mean “debauchery,” “revel,” or “violent disturbance.” It comes from the French riote, which means “debate” or “dispute” and derives from the Old French rihoter “to quarrel.” Riot may ultimately derive from the Latin rugīre, “to roar.”

Riots are not peaceful. Situations accurately described as riots always involve some form of violence or destruction—especially a chaotic scene in which people are fighting and things are being broken. Using the word almost always implies a criticism of the people participating.

A protest might be called a riot if it turns violent. But sometimes it may be called a riot simply by those who don’t agree with the protest, regardless of whether it’s violent or not. The word’s history is full of examples of it being used in a way that unfairly portrays protesters as criminals in order to dismiss and distract from the cause they’re demonstrating for.

What are some other forms related to riot?

• riotous (adjective)
• rioter (noun)
• rioting (continuous tense verb, noun)
• counterrioter (noun)
• nonrioter (noun)
• antiriot (adjective, noun)

What are some synonyms for riot?

• disturbance
• outbreak

What are some words that share a root or word element with riot? 

• read the riot act
• riot shield
• laugh riot

What are some words that often get used in discussing riot?

• violence
• destruction
• property
• damage
• fire
• police
• protest
• gear
• street

Riot is usually used in a negative way in criticisms of such situations, but this isn’t always the case.

“A riot is the language of the unheard.”

My father was telling us to hear.
He was beckoning us to do justice.
He was provoking us to true peace.
A call to conscience. pic.twitter.com/sehI6CYtZB

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) June 3, 2020

The protest today was very peaceful btw. Don’t let anyone try to convince you that it was a riot

— kemosabe (@keemypit) June 9, 2020

And in case you haven't heard of it, there was this little thing called the Warsaw Uprising.

It was a riot, a revolt, led by Jews against their oppressors. They killed 150 German soldiers, and 13,000 Jews died in the revolt.

Pictured here: arrested Jewish resistance fighters. pic.twitter.com/FzowF80dRx

— Elad Nehorai (@PopChassid) June 9, 2020