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.
Tuesday night, Cornell’s president, provost and chair of the board of trustees wrote a letter to the Cornell community addressing the uproar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
About 700 miles away around the same time, a momentary greeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at ground zero became a dayslong online uproar.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Both had received grants for their cameras but ended their contracts after issues with Flock installation and in response to public uproar over their use.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
But a major European tour this summer faltered, with several concerts scrapped amid uproar over the star's views.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
My boy Octavian, having spent some days abed, never having traveled upon the water before, so that his vitals were involved in uproar, now prowls about the decks impatient of our destination.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
