1 roar | Definition of roar

roar

verb
\ ˈrȯr How to pronounce roar (audio) \
roared; roaring; roars

Definition of roar

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to utter or emit a full loud prolonged sound
b : to sing or shout with full force
2a : to make or emit a loud confused sound (such as background reverberation or rumbling)
b : to laugh loudly
3a : to be boisterous or disorderly
b : to proceed or rush with great noise or commotion
4 : to make a loud noise during inhalation (such as that of a horse affected with roaring)

transitive verb

1 : to utter or proclaim with a roar
2 : to cause to roar

roar

noun

Definition of roar (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the deep cry of a wild animal (such as a lion)
2 : a loud deep cry (as of pain or anger)
3 : a loud continuous confused sound the roar of the crowd
4 : a boisterous outcry

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Examples of roar in a Sentence

Verb

We heard a lion roar in the distance. The joke got the crowd roaring. The crowd roared its approval. She roared at him for being late.

Noun

the roar of the airplane engines the roar of the river
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Gauff’s court coverage was astonishing and her ability to track down and return seemingly sure winners fed the crowd’s loud roars for the long-legged newcomer. Los Angeles Times, "After Naomi Osaka’s win over Coco Gauff at U.S. Open, a lesson in class," 31 Aug. 2019 The most recent was Hurricane Michael, which roared onto the Florida Panhandle in October, killing at least 59 people and causing more than $25 billion in damage. Washington Post, "Hurricanes hard at work on Labor Day weekends in Florida," 31 Aug. 2019 The crowd of 42,074 roared when Yadier Molina slid over the plate for the game-winning run, then jumped up and waved his arms to urge the crowd to yell louder. Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Sonny Gray caps dominant month; Raisel Iglesias blows save in Cincinnati Reds' loss to St. Louis," 31 Aug. 2019 Consumers were cited as one of the reasons the economy kept roaring on. Anneken Tappe, CNN, "Consumers are worried about trade, and that's a bad sign for the economy," 30 Aug. 2019 Fans stood when Josh Reddick worked the count full and roared when the next pitch looked low. Hunter Atkins, Houston Chronicle, "Rays take see-saw battle from Astros to avoid sweep," 29 Aug. 2019 When Hurricane Irma roared toward Florida two years ago, UCF cancelled classes and urged students to leave campus, if possible. Leslie Postal, orlandosentinel.com, "UCF: No decisions yet on storm shelters for students," 28 Aug. 2019 With spectators roaring their approval, Gauff broke right back and was on her way to dominating the second set. Howard Fendrich, The Denver Post, "Call Coco the Comeback Kid: Gauff wins U.S. Open debut at 15," 27 Aug. 2019 Special operations forces are supposed to do things differently than the rest of the armed forces, and roaring around on an armed Jet Ski is certainly that. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Navy SEALs Have Special Ops Jet Skis," 26 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Wrestler Adam Cole emerged to the sound of the crowd's roar for the main event. Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Josiah Williams' 'Wrestle & Flow' videos went viral. Now the Milwaukee-born rapper works for WWE.," 3 Sep. 2019 Hollywood’s summer had a lower roar than last year. Ryan Faughnderstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Summer box office is down 2% from last year despite ‘Lion King’ and other hits. Should Hollywood worry?," 28 Aug. 2019 Water fans who like the loud, fast thrills of water skis or the roar and spray of personal watercraft should look to a nearby all-sports spot like Cass or Orchard lakes. Judy Rose, Detroit Free Press, "Large West Bloomfield lake home has everything, including your own boat," 24 Aug. 2019 But Jackson is an instinctive player, and sometimes his improvisation makes his coaches cringe and the M&T Bank Stadium crowd roar. Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "Lamar Jackson flashes fancy footwork as Ravens secure 15th straight preseason win, 26-13 over Packers," 16 Aug. 2019 Jansen let out a roar in disgust as Kelly rounded the bases to put the Diamondbacks ahead. Jorge Castillo, latimes.com, "Cody Bellinger's walk-off homer in the 10th gives the Dodgers a sweep over the Diamondbacks," 3 July 2019 Scooters rip-roar through increasingly narrow streets, like its own percussion. National Geographic, "Music in Morocco: The ultimate sonic journey," 23 July 2019 Odds are the roars for both are going to be pretty darn big. Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, "Hootie and the Blowfish looks ahead to a ‘Cracked Rear View’ anniversary gig at Blossom," 22 July 2019 The roars had the intensity of a final round as McIlroy ran off five birdies in seven holes to brighten a gloomy sky over the North Atlantic. Doug Ferguson, BostonGlobe.com, "Irishman Shane Lowry shares lead, but local hero Rory McIlroy misses cut at British Open," 19 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'roar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of roar

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for roar

Verb

Middle English roren, from Old English rārian; akin to Old High German rērēn to bleat

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More Definitions for roar

roar

verb

English Language Learners Definition of roar

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to make the loud sound of a wild animal (such as a lion)
: to make a long, loud sound
: to laugh loudly

roar

noun

English Language Learners Definition of roar (Entry 2 of 2)

: the loud sound of a wild animal (such as a lion)
: a loud, low sound that continues for a long time

roar

verb