rousing
Americanadjective
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exciting; stirring.
a rousing song.
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active or vigorous.
a rousing campaign.
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brisk; lively.
a rousing business.
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exceptional; extraordinary.
a rousing lie.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rousing
Explanation
If you've ever been "roused" out of your sleep by someone, then you'll have no trouble seeing that rousing refers to anything that gets you going, up on your feet, energized. There's nothing like a rousing tournament of Twister to get you off your butt and into the game. Cheerleaders and rock stars are in the business of creating rousing spectacles. They want their audiences to get up on their feet, clap their hands, and get on the bandwagon. A good drinking song, too, is rousing, inspiring folks to clink their glasses, sway back and forth, and, well, keep drinking. Beethoven was a master of music that was thoughtful one minute and rousing the very next.
Vocabulary lists containing rousing
The Devil's Arithmetic
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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"The Sporting Spirit"
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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.
After a rousing performance of Hello, Goodbye, the last moments of the show featured Colbert and Sir Paul backstage, turning off the lights of The Late Show for good.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Williams, 94, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony last Wednesday, which commenced with the composer’s rousing “Raiders March” played by the school’s marching band and accompanied by its blue-clad cheerleaders.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
Those relationships may be why the Maryland-based nuclear developer got such a rousing response from Wall Street.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
There was yelling and booing and people crying, it was big and rousing, boring and absurd.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Even the air seemed still, slowly rousing itself after the rain.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
