rouse

¹

[rouz]

verb (used with object)

roused, rousing 

1. to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc..

   He was roused to action by courageous words.

   Synonyms: inflame, kindle, awaken, stimulate, animate, excite, stir, arouse
   Antonyms: pacify, calm, lull

2. to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.

   Synonyms: anger, provoke

3. to cause (game) to start from a covert or lair.

4. Nautical Now Rare.,  to pull by main strength; haul.

verb (used without object)

roused, rousing 

1. to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.

2. to start up from a covert or lair, as game.

noun

1. a rousing.

2. a signal for rousing; reveille.

rouse

²

[rouz]

noun

1. Archaic.,  a carouse.

2. Obsolete.,  a bumper of liquor.

rouse

¹

/ ˈraʊzɪdnɪs, raʊz /

verb

1. to bring (oneself or another person) out of sleep, unconsciousness, etc, or (of a person) to come to consciousness in this way

2. (tr) to provoke, stir, or excite

   to rouse someone's anger

3. to become active or energetic

4. hunting to start or cause to start from cover

   to rouse game birds

5. (intr) falconry (of hawks) to ruffle the feathers and cause them to stand briefly on end (a sign of contentment)

6. to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)

noun

1. another term for reveille

rouse

²

/ raʊz /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure

2. another word for carousal

Other Word Forms

• rousedness noun
• rouser noun
• unroused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rouse¹

First recorded in 1425–75 in sense “(of a hawk) to shake the feathers”; 1525–35 rouse ¹ for def. 3; origin uncertain

Origin of rouse²

First recorded in 1590–1600; perhaps variant of carouse ( drink carouse being wrongly analyzed as drink a rouse )

Word History and Origins

Origin of rouse¹

C15 (in sense 5): origin obscure

Origin of rouse²

C17: probably a variant of _carouse (as in the phrase drink a rouse , erroneous for drink carouse ); compare Danish drikke en rus to become drunk, German Rausch drunkenness

Synonym Study

See incite.

Example Sentences

It was a rousing farewell for Mary Roy, fierce and untamed in life and on the page.

From BBC

Jota was remembered in song throughout, with a rousing minute of applause after 20 minutes for the beloved striker who wore the number 20 shirt.

From BBC

A Labour councillor had been "rabble rousing" a crowd which could have turned violent when he called for far-right protesters to have their throats cut, a court has heard.

From BBC

A rousing encore included two of their biggest hits - Don't Look Back In Anger and Wonderwall - back to back.

From BBC

He appeared alongside everyone from the Rolling Stones to Bob Dylan, Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam on “The Streets of Bakersfield” to Willie Nelson for a rousing version of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitate 
• arouse 
• awaken 
• disturb 
• fire up 
• galvanize 
• heighten 
• incite 
• inflame 
• kindle 
• provoke 
• rile 
• startle 
• stir 
• trigger 
• wake up 
• whip up 
• work up