rumbustious
pronunciation
How to pronounce rumbustious in British English:
UK [rʌmˈbʌstʃəs]
How to pronounce rumbustious in American English:
US [rʌmˈbʌstʃəs]
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- Adjective:
- noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
Word Origin
- rumbustious (adj.)
- 1778, an arbitrary formation, part of what Farmer describes as "A class of colloquialisms compounded with an intensive prefix" (ram- or rum-), probably suggesting in part rum (adj.) in its old slang sense of "good, fine," and ramp (n.2). In this case apparently suggested by boisterous, robustious, bumptious, etc. Coined about the same time were rumbustical, rambumptious "conceited, self-assertive," ramgumptious "shrewd, bold, rash," rambuskious "rough," rumstrugenous. Also compare ramshackle, rambunctious.
Example
- 1. Delectably droll and rumbustious family .
- 2. It deconstructs the rumbustious 1990s , when inner conflicts of the sort that always beset science but which are generally hidden from the public were made manifest .
- 3. The annual meeting of the american economic association ( aea ) functions a bit like a large , rumbustious diagnosis session .
- 4. References to " rumbustious " business practices or " controversial " , " murky " and " questionable " conduct usually mean the journalist believes something illegal is going on , but couldn 't stand it up in court if sued .
- 5. His 1993 collection , united states : essays 1952-1992 , is a huge and majestic compendium that charts not just vidal 's rumbustious life but the culture and politics of the country he could love and hate in the same sentence .