roared; roaring; roars
1
a
: to utter or emit a full loud prolonged sound
b
: to sing or shout with full force
2
a
: to make or emit a loud confused sound (such as background reverberation or rumbling)
b
: to laugh loudly
3
a
: to be boisterous or disorderly
b
: to proceed or rush with great noise or commotion
4
: to make a loud noise during inhalation (such as that of a horse affected with roaring)
1
: the deep cry of a wild animal (such as a lion)
2
: a loud deep cry (as of pain or anger)
3
: a loud continuous confused sound
the roar of the crowd
4
: a boisterous outcry
Synonyms
Examples of roar in a Sentence
Verb
We heard a lion roar in the distance.
The joke got the crowd roaring.
The crowd roared its approval.
She roared at him for being late.
Noun
the roar of the airplane engines
the roar of the river
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
On that stage in Memphis that night, King didn't know—and the audience that roared with approval didn't know either—that this would be his last speech.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
From the Miami Herald’s archives, here is Michael Crook’s report from March 1989 in Tropic magazine:
Donald Trump in Palm Beach: Hitting a roar nerve
First published March 19, 1989
The sun has disappeared beyond the middle-class condos of West Palm Beach and the western sky is painted tangerine.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for roar 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
A lot of anger and denial, and even a bit of a death wish, that all were there before Grace got there and now are roaring back.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
On that stage in Memphis that night, King didn't know—and the audience that roared with approval didn't know either—that this would be his last speech.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
The rocket booster revved up the 33 engines at its base, sending a loud roar across Starbase, the SpaceX launch site near Brownsville, Texas.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
From the Miami Herald’s archives, here is Michael Crook’s report from March 1989 in Tropic magazine:
Donald Trump in Palm Beach: Hitting a roar nerve
First published March 19, 1989
The sun has disappeared beyond the middle-class condos of West Palm Beach and the western sky is painted tangerine.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for roar
Dictionary Entries Near roar
Cite this Entry
“Roar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roar. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
roar
1 of 2 verb
ˈrō(ə)r 
ˈrȯ(ə)r
1
: to utter a long full loud sound
the lion roared
2
: to laugh loudly
3
: to say with a roar
roarer
noun
ˈrōr-ər
ˈrȯr-
roar
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the deep loud cry of a wild animal (as a lion)
b
: a loud deep cry or shout
2
: a loud confused sound
the roar of the crowd
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