Wiktionary

roar

See also: Roar, and róar

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-West Germanic *rairōn, from Proto-Germanic *rairōną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of imitative origin.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian roorje (“to roar”), German röhren (“to roar”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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roar (third-person singular simple present roars, present participle roaring, simple past and past participle roared)

  1. (intransitive) To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
    • a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “The First Book of Homer’s Ilias”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume IV, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 434:
      Sole on the barren ſands the ſuff'ring chief / Roar'd out for anguiſh, and indulg'd his grief.
  2. To laugh in a particularly loud manner.
    The audience roared at his jokes.
  3. Of animals (especially a lion), to make a loud deep noise.
    The lioness roared to scare off the hyenas.
  4. Generally, of inanimate objects etc., to make a loud resounding noise.
  5. (figuratively) To proceed vigorously.
    • 2011 January 25, Phil McNulty, “Blackpool 2-3 Man Utd”, in BBC:
      United's attempt to extend their unbeaten league sequence to 23 games this season looked to be in shreds as the Seasiders - managed by Ian Holloway - roared into a fully deserved two-goal lead at the interval.
  6. (transitive) To cry aloud; to proclaim loudly.
    • 1639, John Ford, The Lady's Trial:
      This last action will roar thy infamy.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.
  7. To be boisterous; to be disorderly.
    • 1724, Gilbert Burnet, History of My Own Time:
      It was a mad, roaring time, full of extravagance.
  8. To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses do when they have a certain disease.
  9. (British Yorkshire, North Midlands, informal) To cry.
    • 1886, James Orchard Halliwell, “Third Class: Tales: LX”, in The Nursery Rhymes of England:
      Tom, Tom, the piper's son,
      Stole a pig, and away he run!
      The pig was eat, and Tom was beat,
      And Tom went roaring down the street.

Translations

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Noun

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roar (plural roars)

  1. A long, loud, deep shout, as of rage or laughter, made with the mouth wide open.
  2. The cry of the lion.
    • 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:
      The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told. So they marched away until they came near to Dorothy. Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them, and the poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could.
  3. The deep cry of the bull.
  4. A loud resounding noise.
    the roar of a motorbike
    • 1944, Ernie Pyle, Brave Men, University of Nebraska Press (2001), page 107:
      "Those lovely valleys and mountains were filled throughout the day and night with the roar of heavy shooting."
  5. A show of strength or character.

Translations

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Derived terms

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from verb or noun

Anagrams

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Swedish

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Verb

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roar

  1. present indicative of roa
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