vociferate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing vociferate
Wuthering Heights
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, Chapters 6–9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Yelping and Yowling: Synonyms for "Cry"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
These bronze rowdies whoop and vociferate on all sides.
From Time Magazine Archive
Alas me, for my sufferings! for well may I groan and vociferate these things.
From The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I. by Euripides
"It was, it was," cried the girl as loud as she could vociferate: "it was Maurice threw me down from the top of the press."
From Tales and Novels — Volume 06 by Edgeworth, Maria
I'll vociferate, I'll whimper, pacing up and down the garden, my body distended, my legs bent outward, feigning madness to terrify the tom-cats!
From Barks and Purrs by Colette
I once heard an old cook vociferate from the kitchen of a small inn to a boy in the yard.
From Le Morvan, [A District of France,] Its Wild Sports, Vineyards and Forests; with Legends, Antiquities, Rural and Local Sketches by Jesse, William
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.
