rave

1 of 2

verb

raved; raving

intransitive verb

1
a
: to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
b
: to speak out wildly
c
: to talk with extreme enthusiasm
raved about its beauty
2
: to move or advance violently : storm
the iced gusts still rave and beatJohn Keats

transitive verb

: to utter in madness or frenzy

rave

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of raving
2
: an extravagantly favorable criticism
the play received the critics' raves
3
: a large overnight dance party featuring techno music and usually involving the taking of mind-altering drugs

Examples of rave in a Sentence

Verb “It's his best performance yet,” raved one movie critic. The guy on the corner was raving like a madman. The coach ranted and raved at the referee. Noun Her review of the movie was a rave. the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
One Amazon shopper raved about the bag’s thoughtful design that’s large enough to fit even full-size containers. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025 The Red Sox infielder showed flashes of power and manager Alex Cora raved all season about his impact defense. Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
Just look at how fluorescent accessories defined 1990s rave culture in the UK, or how Daft Punk’s metallic helmets spawned a movement of futuristic style. Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The series of specials, which earned raves and multiple Emmy Awards via three installments in May 2019, December 2019 and December 2021, haven’t been back since the death of icon Norman Lear in 2023. Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rave

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rave was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rave. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rave

1 of 2 verb
raved; raving
1
: to talk wildly or irrationally
2
: to talk with great enthusiasm
raved about the new play
raver noun

rave

2 of 2 noun
: a statement of enthusiastic praise

More from Merriam-Webster on rave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!