Meaning & use
a rumpus room
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Meaning
nouncountableold-fashionedinformal
A room in a house, usually in the basement or on a lower floor, used for games, hobbies, or noisy family activities.
Grammar: Countable: a rumpus room, the rumpus room, or rumpus rooms.
Patterns
- in the rumpus room
- have a rumpus room
- turn something into a rumpus room
The kids are playing table tennis in the rumpus room.
Their new house has a big rumpus room downstairs where the children can make noise.
We turned the spare bedroom into a rumpus room with a sofa and a games table.
Word forms
| plural | rumpus rooms |
|---|
Common combinations
- in the rumpus room
- The toys are all in the rumpus room.
- a basement rumpus room
- They converted the basement into a basement rumpus room.
- a rumpus room downstairs
- The house has a rumpus room downstairs for the children.
Synonyms and how they differ
- playroom
- A more common modern word for a room where children play; it does not usually suggest a basement or adult games.
- games room
- Often used for a room with pool or video games; it can be for adults as well as children.
- rec room
- Short for recreation room, a similar North American term for a room for games and hobbies.
Commonly confused: a rumpus room or rumpus?
a rumpus room vs rumpus
Rumpus alone means a noisy argument or disturbance; a rumpus room is a room for noisy play, not a fight.
Practice
What is a rumpus room mainly used for?
Choose one answer.
A rumpus room is for games and noisy activities. The other options describe a kitchen, a garage, and a bedroom, not a rumpus room.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a rumpus room”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.