rouse

[rouz]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rouse ON THESAURUS.COM

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

to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc.: He was roused to action by courageous words.

to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.

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

Nautical. to pull by main strength; haul.

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.

Origin of rouse

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

Related formsrous·ed·ness

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

Synonyms for rouse

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rouse ON THESAURUS.COM

1. arouse, stir, excite, animate, stimulate, awaken, kindle, inflame, fire. 2. provoke, anger.

Synonym study

1, 2. See incite.

Antonyms for rouse

1, 2. lull, calm, pacify.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for roused

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

Examples from the Web for roused

Contemporary Examples of roused

The kneeling nuns, roused from their devout abstraction, made their reverence and went away.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
He tried to calm me, but I was roused at last, and drawing my long knife barred his way.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
Our president was roused to speak out against guns by the massacre of 20 youngsters at Sandy Hook.
‘Safe Passage’ Signs Are a Signal That Chicago Has Surrendered
Michael Daly
August 14, 2013
He no doubt could have been roused to fury if a real kafir contributed to his younger brother preferring a-h-h-h-h to Allah.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Best Friend, Brendan Mess, an Unsolved Killing
Michael Daly
April 23, 2013
Whether or not that signaled a higher-profile return to politics, it was a good exit line that roused the CPAC crowd.
Romney Apologizes for Defeat at CPAC, Says He’ll ‘Be Your Coworker’
Howard Kurtz
March 15, 2013

Historical Examples of roused

She never heard the end of the story, but was roused by the laughter that followed it.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
She started suddenly awake, seeming to have been roused by the opening of a door.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
She roused every fevered nerve to do battle with the strong man for his son.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
In the meantime he will go home, and not a suspicion will be roused.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
But, what roused him in violent resentment only appealed to Sidney's curiosity.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for roused

rouse

verb

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

(tr) to provoke, stir, or exciteto rouse someone's anger

rouse oneself to become active or energetic

hunting to start or cause to start from coverto rouse game birds

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

(raʊs) (intr foll by on) Australian to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)

noun

mainly US another term for reveille

Derived Formsrousedness (ˈraʊzɪdnɪs), noun

Word Origin for rouse

C15 (in sense 5): origin obscure

rouse

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

Word Origin and History for roused

rouse

mid-15c., intransitive probably from Anglo-French or Old French reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, but like many hawking terms it is of obscure origin. Figurative meaning "to stir up, provoke to activity" is from 1580s; that of "awaken" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Roused; rousing.