roaring
[rawr-ing, rohr-]
- the act of a person, animal, or thing that roars.
- a loud, deep cry or sound or a series of such sounds.
- Veterinary Pathology. a disease of horses, caused by respiratory obstruction or vocal cord paralysis, and characterized by loud or rough breathing sounds.
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- making or causing a roar, as an animal or thunder.
- brisk or highly successful, as trade: He did a roaring business selling watches to tourists.
- characterized by noisy, disorderly behavior; boisterous; riotous: roaring revelry.
- complete; utter; out-and-out: a roaring idiot; a roaring success.
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- very; extremely: roaring drunk.
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Origin of roaring
roar
[rawr, rohr]
- to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.
- to laugh loudly or boisterously: to roar at a joke.
- to make a loud sound or din, as thunder, cannon, waves, or wind.
- to function or move with a loud, deep sound, as a vehicle: The automobile roared away.
- to make a loud noise in breathing, as a horse.
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- to utter or express in a roar: to roar denials.
- to bring, put, make, etc., by roaring: to roar oneself hoarse.
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- a loud, deep cry or howl, as of an animal or a person: the roar of a lion.
- a loud, confused, constant noise or sound; din; clamor: the roar of the surf; the roar of lively conversation from the crowded party.
- a loud outburst: a roar of laughter; a roar of approval from the audience.
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Origin of roar
before 900; Middle English roren (v.), Old English rārian; cognate with Old High German rēren to bellow
Synonyms
See more synonyms for roar on Thesaurus.com1. bawl, yell. 3. resound, boom, thunder, peal.
Synonym study
1. See cry.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for roaring
Contemporary Examples
Bitcoin began 2013 with a roaring price of $770 per unit, and businesses right and left were converting to the ethereal product.
The younger brother would try everything in his power from a distance to subdue the roaring flames of passion.
Our stereotype of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ is cocaine, nightclubs, and flapper girls.
If the goal was to get 'em talking, last Sunday night's Miss America competition was a roaring success.
So far in the States, he has eschewed the roaring, pumping, and scolding so as not to antagonize his new teammates and opponents.
Historical Examples
On a rock, amid the roaring water, Lies Cassiopea's gentle daughter.
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
Their walk was a delight to him, their roaring gallop a frenzy of eager sensation.
ThoroughbredsW. A. Fraser
The roaring winds of the Pacific make you drunk to begin with.
American NotesRudyard Kipling
It was all he could do to restrain himself from roaring aloud in his rage.
Casanova's HomecomingArthur Schnitzler
Before long it was roaring, and diffusing a genial warmth on all sides.
The Field of IceJules Verne
roaring
- informal very brisk and profitable (esp in the phrase a roaring trade)
- the roaring days Australian the period of the Australian goldrushes
- Irish derogatory, informal (intensifier)a roaring communist
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- noisily or boisterously (esp in the phrase roaring drunk)
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- a loud prolonged cry
- a debilitating breathing defect of horses characterized by rasping sounds with each breath: caused by inflammation of the respiratory tract or obstruction of the larynxCompare whistling
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roar
- (of lions and other animals) to utter characteristic loud growling cries
- (also tr) (of people) to utter (something) with a loud deep cry, as in anger or triumph
- to laugh in a loud hearty unrestrained manner
- (of horses) to breathe with laboured rasping soundsSee roaring (def. 6)
- (of the wind, waves, etc) to blow or break loudly and violently, as during a storm
- (of a fire) to burn fiercely with a roaring sound
- (of a machine, gun, etc) to operate or move with a loud harsh noise
- (tr) to bring (oneself) into a certain condition by roaringto roar oneself hoarse
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- a loud deep cry, uttered by a person or crowd, esp in anger or triumph
- a prolonged loud cry of certain animals, esp lions
- any similar noise made by a fire, the wind, waves, artillery, an engine, etc
- a loud unrestrained burst of laughter
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See also roar up
Word Origin
Old English rārian; related to Old High German rērēn, Middle Dutch reren
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
Word Origin and History for roaring
adj.
late 14c., present participle adjective from roar (v.). Used of periods of years characterized by noisy revelry, especially roaring twenties (1930); but also, in Britain, roaring fifties (1892). Roaring forties in reference to exceptional rough seas between latitudes 40 and 50 south, is attested from 1841.
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roar
v.
Old English rarian "roar, wail, lament, bellow, cry," probably of imitative origin (cf. Middle Dutch reeren, German röhren "to roar;" Sanskrit ragati "barks;" Lithuanian reju "to scold;" Old Church Slavonic revo "I roar;" Latin raucus "hoarse"). Related: Roared; roaring.
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roar
n.
late 14c., from roar (v.) and Old English gerar.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper