boisterous

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈbɔɪstəɹəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #34579

Meanings

1

adj
violently agitated and turbulent

Boisterous winds and waves.
2

adj
noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline

A boisterous crowd.
3

adj
full of rough and exuberant animal spirits

Boisterous practical jokes.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · violently agitated and... rough

2 adj · noisy and lacking in... rambunctiousrobustiousrumbustiousunruly

3 adj · full of rough and exuberant... knockabout

More noisy riotous clamorous

Word family

Forms boisterously

Derived forms boisterouslyboisterousnessoverboisterousunboisterous

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

boisterous crowd
a gathering of people who are noisy, energetic, and poorly restrained

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English boistres, an alteration of Middle English boistous (“crude, unrefined”), of uncertain origin. Likely from Anglo-Norman boystous, bustous (“rough, in a crude state, disabled, paralysed, unable to walk, lame”), Old French boitous (“limping; having a rough, uneven surface”).

boistres Middle English boistous Middle English boystous xno boitous Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# boisterous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɔɪstəɹəs/
**Frequency rank:** 34579

## Meanings
1. violently agitated and turbulent
2. noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
3. full of rough and exuberant animal spirits

## Examples
- Boisterous winds and waves.
- A boisterous crowd.
- Boisterous practical jokes.

## Synonyms
- rough
- rambunctious
- robustious
- rumbustious
- unruly
- knockabout
- noisy
- riotous
- clamorous

## Derived Forms
- boisterously
- boisterousness
- overboisterous
- unboisterous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: boistres
- Root: boistous
- Root: boystous
- Root: boitous

## Etymology
From Middle English boistres, an alteration of Middle English boistous (“crude, unrefined”), of uncertain origin. Likely from Anglo-Norman boystous, bustous (“rough, in a crude state, disabled, paralysed, unable to walk, lame”), Old French boitous (“limping; having a rough, uneven surface”).

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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