RUMBUSTIOUS Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

rumbustious

adjective

ˌrəm-ˈbəs-chəs

Definition of rumbustious

chiefly British

as in boisterous

being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way while American university debates tend to be sedate affairs, their counterparts in Oxford are wholeheartedly rumbustious

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of rumbustious The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022 Still, there’s a lot of pleasing vitality to this great American story about how clever brewers took an ancient idea and unlocked an unheard-of range of innovations with a combination of capitalist energy and rumbustious creativity. — Kyle Smith, National Review, 18 Apr. 2021 The tech titans, with their somewhat rumbustious Bay Area staffers, look quite vulnerable. — The Economist, 22 June 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious

Adjective

During the first Senate debate of the cycle in September at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, Marshall was repeatedly heckled and interrupted by boisterous audience members.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Duncombe’s friends remember her sunny spirit, boisterous and infectious laugh, unbridled optimism and passion for new experiences.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of boisterous

Adjective

Rooms Housed in an old bank building, the Countrypolitan’s 134 rooms are the antidote to the hotel’s dark and raucous lobby.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
The host Seahawks, defending Super Bowl champions, held the Chiefs without a touchdown in a 20-3 drubbing at raucous Lumen Field.

— Jeff Rosen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of raucous

Adjective

Bryan echoing the Truckers is very good news, since their own rambunctious salad days eventually yielded some of this century’s best American anthems.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Sunny, a rambunctious Portuguese water dog that President Barack Obama got at the start of his second term in the White House, died Tuesday at the age of 13, Obama announced.

— Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of rambunctious

Adjective

Still, devotees of John Waters, Sean Baker, Todd Solondz and the Safdie brothers will sense that DeFalco is a kindred spirit, a filmmaker with an open-minded curiosity about the rowdier parts of the human zoo.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Having been raised in a very golf-centric family myself, what struck me about your experience is how rowdy the tournament crowds have gotten.

— Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of rowdy

Adjective

Murphy then appeared on stage to a rollicking standing ovation and made his way to his place at the dais toward the back of the room.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.

— Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Mar. 2026

Definition of rollicking

Adjective

Fashion brands have been experimenting with livelier and more unconventional footwear designs in general lately, and that means interesting uses of color.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
No changes to the dinos, but the lighting overall felt more lively and theatrical.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

Bulky and noisy battery energy storage systems could be a thing of the past, as a global technology company, Sigenergy, Tuesday launched its commercial and industrial battery range in Australia.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Platner’s noisy ascension and implosion didn’t just leave the Democrats looking untrustworthy.

— Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of noisy

Adjective

The style is almost knockabout, with a color palette reminiscent of Coralie Fargeat, but quickly evolves into its own thing with the arrival of Taquin as Margot, a medical student at a nearby hospital.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Though thematically vague, thinly plotted and without a reliably sympathetic soul to cling to, the movie has a mutinous energy and an absurd, knockabout charm; even its violence is more quirky than brutal.

— JEANNETTE CATSOULIS, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2017

Definition of knockabout

Browse Nearby Words

rumblings

rumbustious

rumbustiousness

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“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rumbustious

adjective

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