roar
Americanverb (used without object)
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to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.
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to laugh loudly or boisterously.
to roar at a joke.
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to make a loud sound or din, as thunder, cannon, waves, or wind.
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to function or move with a loud, deep sound, as a vehicle.
The automobile roared away.
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to make a loud noise in breathing, as a horse.
verb (used with object)
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to utter or express in a roar.
to roar denials.
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to bring, put, make, etc., by roaring.
to roar oneself hoarse.
noun
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a loud, deep cry or howl, as of an animal or a person.
the roar of a lion.
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a loud, confused, constant noise or sound; din; clamor.
the roar of the surf; the roar of lively conversation from the crowded party.
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a loud outburst.
a roar of laughter; a roar of approval from the audience.
verb
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(of lions and other animals) to utter characteristic loud growling cries
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(also tr) (of people) to utter (something) with a loud deep cry, as in anger or triumph
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to laugh in a loud hearty unrestrained manner
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(of horses) to breathe with laboured rasping sounds See roaring
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(of the wind, waves, etc) to blow or break loudly and violently, as during a storm
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(of a fire) to burn fiercely with a roaring sound
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(of a machine, gun, etc) to operate or move with a loud harsh noise
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(tr) to bring (oneself) into a certain condition by roaring
to roar oneself hoarse
noun
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a loud deep cry, uttered by a person or crowd, esp in anger or triumph
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a prolonged loud cry of certain animals, esp lions
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any similar noise made by a fire, the wind, waves, artillery, an engine, etc
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a loud unrestrained burst of laughter
Synonym Usage
See cry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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roarsimple
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roarssimple
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have roaredperfect
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has roaredperfect
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am roaringprogressive
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are roaringprogressive
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is roaringprogressive
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have been roaringperfect progressive
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has been roaringperfect progressive
Past
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roaredsimple
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had roaredperfect
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was roaringprogressive
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were roaringprogressive
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had been roaringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of roar
before 900; Middle English roren (v.), Old English rārian; cognate with Old High German rēren to bellow
Explanation
To roar is to make a ferociously loud sound, like a lion or a tiger. If you go to a football game, you'll hear the crowd roar whenever their team scores a goal. A wild animal roars when it makes its long, full cry, and a person (or a thing) can emit a similar roar. Your boisterous uncle roars with laughter, and the frustrated substitute teacher might roar angrily at the class. Motorcycles sometimes roar down the street, and a judge might silence a courtroom when she roars, "Order!" Roar can also act as a noun, meaning the sound itself — like the roar of the crowd that drowns out your voice. Roar comes from an imitative Old English root.
Vocabulary lists containing roar
"The Secret Water"
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Yelping and Yowling: Synonyms for "Cry"
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That's the Way the Wind Blows
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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.
See Examples For:
"Howl like the wind, roar like the river / Wail like the rain, cry, shout, and shiver," she advises, her tawny, contralto voice instantly recognisable.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
When your side scored, it was like the gift of life itself — I’ve never been in a louder environment than when Mexico scored against England, a roar that rivaled a jet engine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The truck ad wants you to believe the roar is real.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
These good vibrations would have obvious benefits for the visually impaired but would also allow all fans to “feel” the crack of the bat or the roar of the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
I roar with laughter, falling back onto the floor.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The pair have a bit of rivalry with Price's on-stage roars and antics often provoking Littler into doing similar, but the teenager denied that Price can get "under his skin".
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
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
We went to the Norton Simon Museum together in November, on the kind of gray Pasadena day when the 210 Freeway roars in the background like white noise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
The audience roars as Keller and Knight flank Storrie before Knight jokes, “It was gonna be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys too.”
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
“Every day in every way, Mom,” roars Ainsley as she charges up the marble steps two at a time.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Flames roared through crackling pine trees on Thursday as a wildfire gained ground on the coast of southwestern France, forcing more than 20,000 tourists and residents to flee to safety.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
As the crowd roared, Kerr put his months of laser focus to the test.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
MacIntyre was being roared on by a huge home support but could not repeat his 2024 triumph.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The U.S. won their group, roared into the knockout stage, and took out Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
A wave of purple capes roared in the audience as House Hyacinth celebrated their champion.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Their prices have soared because of roaring artificial-intelligence demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
The shy 9-year-old Nathan Negrete doesn’t naturally gravitate toward the spotlight, but as Negrete stood with Weston McKennie in front of the roaring 74,904 fans at SoFi Stadium, he smiled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
The artificial intelligence boom has been roaring for a few years now, but a few key factors have made this summer a particular inflection point.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
A photo of Serena Williams roaring makes the Guardian's front page, calling her comeback "no fairytale".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
The rain pounded so hard on the tin roof, it made a roaring sound inside the kitchen and we had to shout to be heard.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
