vociferate

American  

[voh-sif-uh-reyt] / voʊˈsɪf əˌreɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

vociferated, vociferating

1. to speak or cry out loudly or noisily; shout; bawl.

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vociferate British  

/ vəʊˈsɪfəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to exclaim or cry out about (something) clamorously, vehemently, or insistently

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Other Word Forms

• outvociferate
  verb (used with object)
• vociferation
  noun
• vociferator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of vociferate

1590–1600; < Latin vōciferātus (past participle of vōciferāri to shout), equivalent to vōci-, stem of vōx voice + fer ( re ) to bear ¹ + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To vociferate is to shout, wail, or yell loudly and vehemently. People vociferate when they want to be heard. Vociferating is a fancy word for shouting. During a chase, a police officer might vociferate, "Stop!" In sports, coaches are often seen vociferating at referees to protest a bad call. While parents might vociferate when a child is in danger or misbehaving, the word implies a loud, forceful outcry rather than just talking loudly. Because it involves being loud and making a scene, you should never vociferate in a quiet place like a library or a theater — unless there's an emergency.

Example Sentences

These bronze rowdies whoop and vociferate on all sides.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of these I capsized, but was gone on the wings of the wind before he could even vociferate an oath.

From The Snow Image and other stories by Hawthorne, Nathaniel

Benjamin F. Thomas of Worcester was a leading man in the Whig Party, a good speaker, saving only that he appeared to vociferate.

From Reminiscences of Sixty Years in Public Affairs, Vol. 1 by Boutwell, George S.

Evolution is always hard on a certain class and the sufferers quite naturally vociferate their woes without regard to the real causes of the change or to the larger interests of society.

From The Age of the Reformation by Smith, Preserved

I vociferate, as a Parrot in the great cage of the World, I hop, screeching, 'What I say is!' from perch to perch.

From More Trivia by Smith, Logan Pearsall