boisterous

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Loud, lively and full of energy, often in a rough but friendly way.

   Grammar: Describes people or groups: boisterous children.

   Patterns

   • boisterous laughter
   • a boisterous crowd

   The boisterous children chased each other round the yard.

   A boisterous crowd filled the stadium.

   The party grew boisterous after midnight.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounliterary

   Describing wind, weather or the sea that is rough and stormy.

   Grammar: Usually before a noun: boisterous wind.

   Patterns

   • boisterous wind
   • boisterous sea

   A boisterous wind rattled the shutters.

   The boisterous sea tossed the little boat.

   We walked on the cliffs in boisterous weather.

Word forms

Common combinations

boisterous laughter

Boisterous laughter came from the kitchen.

boisterous crowd

A boisterous crowd greeted the team.

boisterous children

The boisterous children never sat still.

boisterous party

Neighbors complained about the boisterous party.

boisterous puppy

The boisterous puppy knocked over the lamp.

Synonyms and how they differ

rowdy

Rowdy suggests noisy behavior that is closer to causing trouble, while boisterous is usually good-humored.

rambunctious

Rambunctious is a more informal, mainly American word for wild, energetic behavior.

exuberant

Exuberant describes joy and energy without necessarily being loud or rough.

unruly

Unruly stresses a failure to obey rules, which boisterous does not.

Opposites

Word family

boisterously adverb

in a loud, lively way

boisterousness noun

loud, lively behavior

Commonly confused: boisterous or bellicose?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “boisterous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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