Uproars

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of loud and chaotic disturbances, often involving public protest or outcry
2. tumultuous noise and excitement generated by a crowd or group
3. a situation marked by uproarious dissent, creating an environment of confusion and disorder

Etymology: "Uproars" is simply the plural of "uproar," so the story belongs to the singular. The noun is a calque, meaning a word-for-word translation, of Dutch "oproer" or German "Aufruhr," both of which mean a rising or revolt. English took the two parts of those words, "up" and "roar," and put them together to produce the same sense of a stirring-up or commotion. The surprise is in the second half. "Roar" is an old sound-word, and it originally described the loud, deep noise of a beast, but "uproar" lost its animal associations early on and came to mean a tumult of voices, a public disturbance, or a clamour of disagreement. Its literal sense of an upward roar still shows in the sense of something rising from below, which is exactly what the Dutch and German originals convey.

Synonyms: commotions, tumults, disturbances, conflicts, upheavals

Antonyms: calm, peace, serenity, harmony, order