Raucous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɔːkəs/

Definitions

1. Producing a loud, harsh, and grating sound ; behaving in a rough and disorderly manner
2. Characterized by noisy, unpleasant, and discordant sounds ; acting in a disruptive or boisterous way
3. Making a harsh and jarring noise that attracts attention ; displaying unruly or noisy conduct

Etymology: Latin "raucus" meant "hoarse" or "husky," and it described a voice roughened by shouting, illness or strain rather than any particular noise. English borrowed the adjective directly from Latin, so "raucous" carries that original sense of a throat worn ragged. The Latin root traces back to "rāvis," a word for hoarseness, and it sits in the same family as the Latin ancestors of English words for hoarseness and rough sound. The English adjective has kept that core idea: a sound that is harsh and grating to the ear, usually because it is loud and unpleasant. The shift from a single hoarse throat to a whole rowdy crowd is a natural extension of the same picture, since many voices shouting together produce exactly that rough, unlovely din.

Synonyms: boisterous, loud, harsh, noisy, clamorous

Antonyms: quiet, soft, calm, gentle