rouse
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc..
He was roused to action by courageous words.
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to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.
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to cause (game) to start from a covert or lair.
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Nautical Now Rare. to pull by main strength; haul.
verb (used without object)
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to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.
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to start up from a covert or lair, as game.
noun
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a rousing.
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a signal for rousing; reveille.
noun
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Archaic. a carouse.
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Obsolete. a bumper of liquor.
verb
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to bring (oneself or another person) out of sleep, unconsciousness, etc, or (of a person) to come to consciousness in this way
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(tr) to provoke, stir, or excite
to rouse someone's anger
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to become active or energetic
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hunting to start or cause to start from cover
to rouse game birds
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(intr) falconry (of hawks) to ruffle the feathers and cause them to stand briefly on end (a sign of contentment)
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to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)
noun
noun
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an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure
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another word for carousal
Related Words
See incite.
Other Word Forms
- rousedness noun
- rouser noun
- unroused adjective
Etymology
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 )
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.
Her mother was watching from the finish line, and Shiffrin got a rousing ovation from the crowd when she finished her run.
From Los Angeles Times
Once they were all settled, I would have a quick chat - nothing too rousing! - and then leave the dressing room.
From BBC
They skated clean thereafter and got good scores in their rousing finish – a series of Highland jigs combined with a dance lift - but the damage was done, as their overall technical score suffered greatly.
From BBC
He isn’t known for rousing oratory or catchy sound bites; the former prosecutor instead prefers to talk in long, earnest sentences about fairness and duty.
Three-quarters of the way through the match, Ireland roused themselves and turned some pressure into points as substitute flanker Nick Timoney raced under the posts.
From Barron's
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.
