raucous
pronunciation
How to pronounce raucous in British English:
UK [ˈrɔ:kəs]
How to pronounce raucous in American English:
US [ˈrɔkəs]
-
- Adjective:
- unpleasantly loud and harsh
- disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
Word Origin
- raucous (adj.)
- 1769, from Latin raucus "hoarse" (also source of French rauque, Spanish ronco, Italian rauco), related to ravus "hoarse," from PIE echoic base *reu- "make hoarse cries" (cognates: Sanskrit rayati "barks," ravati "roars;" Greek oryesthai "to howl, roar;" Latin racco "a roar;" Old Church Slavonic rjevo "I roar;" Lithuanian rekti "roar;" Old English rarian "to wail, bellow"). Middle English had rauc in the same sense, from the same source.
Example
- 1. As I entered our courtyard one night , I heard raucous laughter and singing .
- 2. Like other black churches , trinity 's services are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor .
- 3. But they confused me by breaking out in raucous laughter .
- 4. Suddenly , the narrative seemed to have eclipsed the fable and spilled out into a raucous ensemble .
- 5. Politicians must keep it that way , strengthening and not demolishing the institutions of their raucous , flawed democracy .