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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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.
“Not renewing it would trigger a big uproar from the private sector,” Ziemer says.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
F1 and the FIA, the world governing body of motor sport, have heard the uproar.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
There was widespread uproar in early January, when online sleuths found that someone had made nearly half a million dollars on Maduro's seizure.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The uproar is merely the latest example of the massive inflation that has come to define the first World Cup held in the U.S. since 1994.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
It had nearly destroyed Kerch-Zemeni relations and sent the Merchant Council into an uproar.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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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.