uproar

noun

up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrȯr 

: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

Synonyms

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• foofaraw
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• helter-skelter
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurricane
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• kerfuffle [chiefly British]
• moil
• pandemonium
• pother
• row
• ruckus
• ruction
• rumpus
• shindy
• splore [Scottish]
• squall
• stew
• stir
• storm
• to-do
• tumult
• turmoil
• welter
• whirl
• williwaw
• zoo

Examples of uproar in a Sentence

There was a lot of public uproar over the proposed jail.

There have been uproars in the past over similar proposals.

The proposal caused an uproar.

The town was in an uproar over the proposal to build a jail.

Recent Examples on the Web

This time, the viral uproar is about Meghan's Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, which premiered on Netflix in early March. —Npr Staff, NPR, 29 Mar. 2025

Still, two education groups sued the Trump administration over the funding pause, which caused an uproar in the higher education community. —Filip Timotija, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2025

Amid the uproar regarding the Dodgers’ latest spending spree and dominance in acquiring elite Japanese ball players, Apple TV+ is set to globally release on March 28th a three-part docuseries entitled, Fight For Glory: 2024 World Series. —Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

One small ingredient is causing uproar among carrot cake lovers. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from Dutch oproer, from Middle Dutch, from op up (akin to Old English ūp) + roer motion; akin to Old English hrēran to stir

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for uproar

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

Kids Definition

uproar

noun

up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrō(ə)r 

-ˌrȯ(ə)r

: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

Etymology

from Dutch oproer "revolt, uprising," from op "up" and roer "motion"; the English spelling and meaning influenced by the similarity of the English roar to Dutch roer

Word Origin

The -roar part of the word uproar has no connection with the sounds made by some animals and crowds. The first use of uproar was as the translation of the Dutch word oproer, meaning "uprising, rebellion, revolt." Thus, the first meaning of uproar was the same as the Dutch meaning of oproer. Nowadays, this sense of uproar is no longer used. Because people thought that the roar of uproar referred to loud cries and sounds, they began to use the word to mean "a noisy disturbance or commotion." This is the sense of uproar that has survived.