rouse

¹

[rouz]

verb (used with object)

roused, rousing 

1. to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc..

   He was roused to action by courageous words.

   Synonyms: inflame, kindle, awaken, stimulate, animate, excite, stir, arouse
   Antonyms: pacify, calm, lull

2. to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.

   Synonyms: anger, provoke

3. to cause (game) to start from a covert or lair.

4. Nautical Now Rare.,  to pull by main strength; haul.

verb (used without object)

roused, rousing 

1. to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.

2. to start up from a covert or lair, as game.

noun

1. a rousing.

2. a signal for rousing; reveille.

rouse

²

[rouz]

noun

1. Archaic.,  a carouse.

2. Obsolete.,  a bumper of liquor.

rouse

¹

/ ˈraʊzɪdnɪs, raʊz /

verb

1. to bring (oneself or another person) out of sleep, unconsciousness, etc, or (of a person) to come to consciousness in this way

2. (tr) to provoke, stir, or excite

   to rouse someone's anger

3. to become active or energetic

4. hunting to start or cause to start from cover

   to rouse game birds

5. (intr) falconry (of hawks) to ruffle the feathers and cause them to stand briefly on end (a sign of contentment)

6. to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)

noun

1. another term for reveille

rouse

²

/ raʊz /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure

2. another word for carousal

Other Word Forms

• rousedness noun
• rouser noun
• unroused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rouse¹

First recorded in 1425–75 in sense “(of a hawk) to shake the feathers”; 1525–35 rouse ¹ for def. 3; origin uncertain

Origin of rouse²

First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps variant of carouse ( drink carouse being wrongly analyzed as drink a rouse )

Word History and Origins

Origin of rouse¹

C15 (in sense 5): origin obscure

Origin of rouse²

C17: probably a variant of _carouse (as in the phrase drink a rouse , erroneous for drink carouse ); compare Danish drikke en rus to become drunk, German Rausch drunkenness

Synonym Study

See incite.

Example Sentences

There, her starring role in the stage musical Carousel involved her singing the rousing You'll Never Walk Alone.

From BBC

Laughton plays Maigret with dry humor, though he’s capable of being roused when exasperated or angry, as he often will be here.

From Los Angeles Times

In his defence, Malema told the court the firearm was not his and that he had fired the shots to rouse the crowd, the publication added.

From BBC

In Lenox’s 15th outing, the detective, painfully aware he’s now 50, must rouse himself from lingering fatigue and physical pain from a stab wound sustained while in America.

From Los Angeles Times

Colbert had already gotten a rousing standing ovation Sunday when he presented the first award of the evening.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitate 
• arouse 
• awaken 
• disturb 
• fire up 
• galvanize 
• heighten 
• incite 
• inflame 
• kindle 
• provoke 
• rile 
• startle 
• stir 
• trigger 
• wake up 
• whip up 
• work up