adjective

raucous

RAW-kuhs

Raucous (adjective) means Harsh-sounding, loud, and rough, especially of a voice or laughter. Example: “A raucous cheer went up when the home team scored.”

adjective

Harsh-sounding, loud, and rough, especially of a voice or laughter.

"A raucous cheer went up when the home team scored."

"His raucous laugh could be heard across the bar."

How to use raucous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLoud, rowdy, and harsh — describing noisy laughter, crowds, or parties.

Easily confused with

ruckus →

Common pairings

raucous laughter raucous crowd raucous cheer

Word forms

more raucous comparative, most raucous superlative

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A _____ cheer went up when the home team scored.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin raucus, meaning "hoarse" or "husky."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for raucous

yous nous pious joyous heinous ominous curious anxious copious tenuous tedious spurious

See all rhymes for raucous →

Frequently asked questions

What does “raucous” mean?

The word “raucous” means harsh-sounding, loud, and rough, especially of a voice or laughter. In plain terms, loud, rowdy, and harsh — describing noisy laughter, crowds, or parties.

How do you pronounce “raucous”?

“Raucous” is pronounced RAW-kuhs (/ˈɹɔkəs/ in IPA).

How do you use “raucous” in a sentence?

Here is “raucous” used in a sentence: “A raucous cheer went up when the home team scored.”

What part of speech is “raucous”?

“Raucous” is an adjective.

Where does the word “raucous” come from?

The word “raucous” comes from Latin. Borrowed from Latin raucus, meaning "hoarse" or "husky.".