boisterous
adjective
bois·ter·ous ˈbȯi-st(ə-)rəs 
1
a
: noisily turbulent : rowdy
b
: marked by or expressive of exuberance and high spirits
2
: stormy, tumultuous
3
obsolete
a
: coarse
b
: durable, strong
c
: massive
boisterously adverb
boisterousness noun
Synonyms
- hell-raising
- knockabout
- rambunctious
- raucous
- robustious
- roisterous
- rollicking
- rowdy
- rumbustious [chiefly British]
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The crowd was young and boisterous, the cheeseburgers were juicy and perfectly charred, and the place was always packed. 
Jonathan Black, Saveur, October 2007 Things had apparently gotten a little too boisterous during the Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League games. And it wasn't the kids. Fed up with noisy, know-it-all parents, the league banned cheering and jeering from the sidelines for one game, which they dubbed Silent Sunday. Kate Rounds, Ms., December 1999/January 2000 Suzanne Massie, boisterous and voluble as we drove through her adopted neighborhood in St. Petersburg, hurtled to a sudden stop. She was laughing uproariously to see the spot, where five years earlier, her rented car had fallen apart … Christopher Lydon, Atlantic, February 1993 A large and boisterous crowd attended the concert. the fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run
Jonathan Black, Saveur, October 2007 Things had apparently gotten a little too boisterous during the Northern Ohio Girls Soccer League games. And it wasn't the kids. Fed up with noisy, know-it-all parents, the league banned cheering and jeering from the sidelines for one game, which they dubbed Silent Sunday. Kate Rounds, Ms., December 1999/January 2000 Suzanne Massie, boisterous and voluble as we drove through her adopted neighborhood in St. Petersburg, hurtled to a sudden stop. She was laughing uproariously to see the spot, where five years earlier, her rented car had fallen apart … Christopher Lydon, Atlantic, February 1993 A large and boisterous crowd attended the concert. the fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run Recent Examples on the Web Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the US Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, ajc, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 Marylander Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 in front of a boisterous crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 The boisterous crowd got to its feet applauding Williams, including Tiger Woods who triumphantly pumped his fist alongside her family. Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 On Twitter, critics and chefs wrote tributes to her charm and boisterous personality. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 26 July 2022 See More
Howard Fendrich, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, ajc, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. CBS News, 7 Sep. 2022 Marylander Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2022 Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since 2006 by beating Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 in front of a boisterous crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Howard Fendrich, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 The boisterous crowd got to its feet applauding Williams, including Tiger Woods who triumphantly pumped his fist alongside her family. Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 On Twitter, critics and chefs wrote tributes to her charm and boisterous personality. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 26 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English boistous crude, clumsy, from Anglo-French
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a
Kids Definition
boisterous
adjective
bois·ter·ous ˈbȯi-stə-rəs
-strəs
: being rough and noisy
a boisterous class
boisterous
adjective
as in raucous
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way the fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- raucous
- rowdy
- rambunctious
- lively
- noisy
- rollicking
- rumbustious
- violent
- robustious
- knockabout
- carnival
- screaming
- riotous
- hell-raising
- exuberant
- roisterous
- wild and woolly
- wild
- uninhibited
- raffish
- bubbly
- turbulent
- unruly
- obstreperous
- vivacious
- ruffianly
- uncontrollable
- uncontrolled
- vociferous
- impassioned
- undisciplined
- headstrong
- carnivalesque
- unmanageable
- effervescent
- tempestuous
- buoyant
- yelling
- strident
- larrikin
- sprightly
- unrestrained
- clamorous
- loudmouthed
- recalcitrant
- stormy
- rowdyish
- unreserved
- ungovernable
- high-spirited
- intractable
- willful
- rampageous
- howling
- rackety
- wilful
- callithumpian
- openmouthed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- solemn
- somber
- orderly
- sombre
- sedate
- staid
- quiet
- dignified
- silent
- decorous
- placid
- sober
- peaceful
- restrained
- calm
- serene
- tranquil
- hushed
- subdued
- proper
- seemly
- unflappable
- unruffled
- noiseless
- imperturbable
- composed
- moderate
- controlled
- phlegmatic
- reasonable
- stoic
- collected
- inhibited
- soundless
- stolid
- repressed
- stoical
- temperate
- constrained
- impassive
- aloof
- indifferent
- depressed
- detached
- self-controlled
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of boisterous are blatant, clamorous, obstreperous, strident, and vociferous. While all these words mean "so loud or insistent as to compel attention," boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.
a boisterous crowd of party goers
The words blatant and boisterous can be used in similar contexts, but blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.
blatant rock music
a blatant clamor for impeachment
While in some cases nearly identical to boisterous, clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.
clamorous demands for prison reforms
The meanings of obstreperous and boisterous largely overlap; however, obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.
the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested
While the synonyms strident and boisterous are close in meaning, strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.
heard the strident cry of the crow
In some situations, the words vociferous and boisterous are roughly equivalent. However, vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.
vociferous cries of protest and outrage
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