rouse

1
[ rouz ]
/ raʊz /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rouse ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), roused, rous·ing.

verb (used without object), roused, rous·ing.

to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.
to start up from a covert or lair, as game.

noun

a rousing.
a signal for rousing; reveille.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rouse

1
1480–90 in sense “(of a hawk) to shake the feathers”; 1525–35 for def 3; origin uncertain

synonym study for rouse

1, 2. See incite.

OTHER WORDS FROM rouse

rous·ed·ness [rou-zid-nis] /ˈraʊ zɪd nɪs/, nounrous·er, nounun·roused, adjective

Words nearby rouse

rourke, rous, rous sarcoma, rous sarcoma virus, rous-associated virus, rouse, rouseabout, rouser, rousing, rousseau, rousseau, jean-jacques

Definition for rouse (2 of 2)

rouse2
[ rouz ]
/ raʊz /

noun

Archaic. a carouse.
Obsolete. a bumper of liquor.

Origin of rouse

2
1595–1605; perhaps variant of carouse (drink carouse being wrongly analyzed as drink a rouse)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to rouse

arouse, awake, awaken, stir, disturb, provoke, trigger, incite, rile, agitate, inflame, startle, heighten, galvanize, kindle, rise, call, raise, urge, move

Example sentences from the Web for rouse

British Dictionary definitions for rouse (1 of 2)

rouse1
/ (raʊz) /

verb

noun

mainly US another term for reveille

Derived forms of rouse

rousedness (ˈraʊzɪdnɪs), noun

Word Origin for rouse

C15 (in sense 5): origin obscure

British Dictionary definitions for rouse (2 of 2)

rouse2
/ (raʊz) /

noun archaic

an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure
another word for carousal

Word Origin for rouse

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
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