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Synonyms

riotous

American  
[rahy-uh-tuhs] / ˈraɪ ə təs /

adjective

  1. (of an act) characterized by or of the nature of rioting or a disturbance of the peace.

  2. (of a person) inciting or taking part in a riot.

  3. given to or marked by unrestrained revelry; loose; wanton.

    riotous living.

  4. boisterous or uproarious.

    riotous laughter.

  5. hilariously funny.

riotous British  
/ ˈraɪətəs /

adjective

  1. proceeding from or of the nature of riots or rioting

  2. inciting to riot

  3. characterized by wanton or lascivious revelry

    riotous living

  4. characterized by boisterous or unrestrained merriment

    riotous laughter
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • riotously adverb
  • riotousness noun
  • unriotous adjective
  • unriotously adverb
  • unriotousness noun

Etymology

Origin of riotous

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; riot, -ous

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.

But in “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” his riotous narrative inspired by his boyhood yuletides in the 1920s, Dylan Thomas serves up a dissenting version of the holiday as a merry mess.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

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

In less than three hours, Dr. Halloween and his crew of eight will transform the broad front yard of this Fillmore Street home into a riotous Halloween fun house.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025

The Guardian's Searle wrote about the drawings: "They are riotous and rhythmic, purposeful and compelling. There's no fudging. Kalu deserves to win this year's Turner Prize."

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

At some point, and Maya wasn’t sure when, their conversations had gone from riotous giggles to whispered secrets to short sentences, and then just one- or two-word responses.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

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.