noun
Synonym Usage
See disorder.
Etymology
Origin of uproar
1520–30; < Dutch oproer revolt, tumult, translation of German Aufruhr; sense and spelling influenced by roar
Explanation
Any kind of noisy disturbance can be called an uproar. A large group of political protesters outside City Hall is likely to create an uproar. There's often an uproar in the audience of a rock concert when the band first appears on stage — people cheer and applaud and whistle. An announcement that the neighborhood donut shop is out of donuts could create another kind of uproar, especially if people have been standing in a long line dreaming of crullers and chocolate glazed donuts. Uproar comes from the German Aufruhr, "a stirring up."
Vocabulary lists containing uproar
This Week in Words: October 13 – 20, 2018
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Crash
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Out of My Mind
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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.
But a major European tour this summer faltered, with several concerts scrapped amid uproar over the star's views.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Mayor Greg Bozzo said other big industrial projects have been approved in the same manner over the years, but didn’t cause any uproar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Starbucks Korea caused an uproar this year when it launched a "Tank Day" promotion on May 18, touting a new line of capacious tumblers for its coffee beverages.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Babitz tells Carroll that “what the paper needs is some writers that cause such an uproar, people will have to read it in order to stay abreast of the edge.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
There was no uproar in the covert or yelping from the lymers.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
