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

Marseille were expected to get all three points at home to Toulouse but produced a sluggish first-half performance following a rousing Champions League win over Newcastle United in midweek.

Read more on Barron's

But by stretching this story to its absolute limits and removing its darkest components, there is no rousing plume of rage to compel the viewer.

Read more on Salon

Inspired by the Mediterranean landscape, a swirling blue-and-white design makes sipping the potent coffee from this stovetop pot all the more rousing.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There is an overwhelming sense that Scotland's fate on Tuesday does not depend on what the handy Danes do, but what Clarke's team can conjure up and rouse from within themselves.

Read more on BBC

Needless to say, the Scots will need to raise their level to have any hope of ending that 27-year hoodoo, so how does Clarke rouse his team for a seismic camp?

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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