noun
Related Words
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.
Traditional Stellantis dealers are in an uproar over Carvana’s entry.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
The possibility of Polis commuting her sentence had caused an uproar in the state in recent months.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Back in 2015 there was uproar about the Higher Maths.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
“Not renewing it would trigger a big uproar from the private sector,” Ziemer says.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
From the table at Winston’s left, a little behind his back, someone was talking rapidly and continuously, a harsh gabble almost like the quacking of a duck, which pierced the general uproar of the room.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
