rumpus

[ ruhm-puhs ]

See synonyms for rumpus on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural rum·pus·es.

a noisy or violent disturbance; commotion; uproar: There was a terrible rumpus going on upstairs.
a heated controversy: a rumpus over the school-bond issue.

Origin of rumpus

First recorded in 1755–65; origin uncertain

Words Nearby rumpus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rumpus in a sentence

Novelist Stephen Elliot launched his club two years ago through The rumpus, the online culture magazine that he founded.
How Book Clubs Went Indie: The Success of Emily Books, The Nervous Breakdown & More | Maura Kelly | September 13, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
And despite what he said about his legacy, his wild rumpus will never end.
Maurice Sendak Is Remembered Fondly by Author and Filmmaker William Joyce | William Joyce | May 9, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
His work has also appeared at The rumpus, The Millions, and The Washington Independent Review of Books.
Must Read Novels | Lucy Scholes, John Wilwol, Randy Rosenthal, Nina MacLaughlin | August 4, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Both sides behaved themselves almost as grownups, when it would have been easier to descend into a school yard rumpus.
Real Progress With Iran | Gary Sick | October 2, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
He came to the top of the stairs with a lamp in his hand, and wanted to know what the rumpus was about.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) Ogden

We knew that all he wanted was to get out on deck, and then there would be the tallest kind of a rumpus.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
I was prepared to carry her off if she refused, but I was ill prepared for the rumpus that this quiet-looking woman kicked up.
A Little Union Scout | Joel Chandler Harris
I suppose now that papa is having a rumpus with Mr. Thatcher I shall never see him any more.
A Hoosier Chronicle | Meredith Nicholson
They found out we were seeing each other secretly, and they made a rumpus about it.
Frank Merriwell's Bravery | Burt L. Standish

British Dictionary definitions for rumpus

rumpus

/ (ˈrʌmpəs) /

nounplural -puses

a noisy, confused, or disruptive commotion

Origin of rumpus

C18: of unknown origin

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

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