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Synonyms

rouse

1 American  
[rouz] / raʊz /

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 American  
[rouz] / raʊz /

noun

  1. Archaic. a carouse.

  2. Obsolete. a bumper of liquor.

rouse 1 British  
/ 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)

"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

noun

  1. another term for reveille

"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
rouse 2 British  
/ raʊz /

noun

  1. an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure

  2. another word for carousal

"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

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 )

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.