riotous
Americanadjective
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proceeding from or of the nature of riots or rioting
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inciting to riot
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characterized by wanton or lascivious revelry
riotous living
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characterized by boisterous or unrestrained merriment
riotous laughter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of riotous
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at riot, -ous
Explanation
Anything riotous is disorderly, chaotic, and loud. Riotous things can also be abundant. Since a riot is a disturbance where people get out of control and become violent, riotous things are also loud, disruptive, and out of hand. If everyone in class speaks at once to answer a question, that's a riotous response. Chaos is always riotous. The opposite of riotous would be calm, civilized, and peaceful. Also, you can say that lush, abundant things are riotous. If an apple tree is producing an unusually large amount of apples, it's riotous.
Vocabulary lists containing riotous
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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President Biden's Inaugural Speech (January 2021)
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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.
Would a win over Haiti followed by two defeats be acclaimed as a riotous success if it's enough to scrape into the knockouts as one of the best third-placed teams?
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
“Oh, Mary!” offers riotous fun, and “Destiny of Desire” is an homage to an oft-dismissed yet widely consumed medium, the telenovela.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026
The Bazball era began as a riotous post-Ashes rebuild - run chases, bucket hats and nighthawks.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026
Parrish told ProPublica she had collected evidence that “shows ongoing and persistent activity” outside the facility that under statute and police directive “would be considered riotous, unlawful assembly and/or disorderly conduct.”
From Salon • Nov. 14, 2025
With the fading of the light the riotous colors died and the heat and urgency cooled away.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
