Library / English Dictionary

ROAR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal)

Example:

his bellow filled the hallway

Synonyms:

bellow; bellowing; holla; holler; hollering; hollo; holloa; roar; roaring; yowl

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("roar" is a kind of...):

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

Derivation:

roar (laugh unrestrainedly and heartily)

roar (utter words loudly and forcefully)

roar (emit long loud cries)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A deep prolonged loud noise

Synonyms:

boom; roar; roaring; thunder

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("roar" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Derivation:

roar (make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The sound made by a lion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("roar" is a kind of...):

cry (the characteristic utterance of an animal)

Derivation:

roar (make a loud noise, as of animal)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Laugh unrestrainedly and heartily

Synonyms:

howl; roar

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

express joy; express mirth; laugh (produce laughter)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

roar (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter words loudly and forcefully

Example:

'Get out of here,' he roared

Synonyms:

roar; thunder

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

shout (utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue roar

They roar that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

roar (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

roarer (someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice)

roaring (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles

Example:

The water roared down the chute

Synonyms:

howl; roar

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

make noise; noise; resound (emit a noise)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "roar"):

vroom (make a loud, roaring sound, as of a car engine, while moving)

bawl; yawp (make a raucous noise)

thunder (to make or produce a loud noise)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

Cars roar in the streets

The streets roar with cars

Derivation:

roar; roaring (a deep prolonged loud noise)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Emit long loud cries

Example:

howl with sorrow

Synonyms:

howl; roar; ululate; wail; yaup; yawl

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "roar"):

squall; waul; wawl (make high-pitched, whiney noises)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

roar; roaring (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a loud noise, as of animal

Example:

The bull bellowed

Synonyms:

bellow; roar

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The animals roar

Derivation:

roar (the sound made by a lion)

roarer (someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice)

roaring (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Sense 6

Meaning:

Act or proceed in a riotous, turbulent, or disorderly way

Example:

desperadoes from the hills regularly roared in to take over the town

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "roar" is one way to...):

continue; go forward; proceed (move ahead; travel onward in time or space)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

They roar up the hill

Credits

 Context examples: 

Then poor Snowdrop wandered along through the wood in great fear; and the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Again and again I have heard the roar of the guns coming from far out over the waters.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The little red warriors hung upon the words of the speaker, and when he had finished they burst into a roar of applause, waving their rude weapons in the air.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If the owner has lit a roaring fire in the fireplace, you’ll be all set for an enchanting Valentine’s Day evening.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

“Five to four against Silver Blaze!” roared the ring.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At the instant he sprang from his chair his mouth opened and there issued forth a sound that was half roar, half bellow.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It can cause severe dizziness, a roaring sound in your ears called tinnitus, hearing loss that comes and goes and the feeling of ear pressure or pain.

(Meniere's Disease, NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)

Supermassive black holes draw gas and matter into a disk around them, heating the disk to roaring temperatures of millions of degrees and blasting out high-energy, visible, ultraviolet and X-ray light.

(The Most Luminous Galaxy in Universe, NASA)

The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows; but Elinor, all happiness within, regarded it not.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

With a roar that was almost lionlike in its ferocity, he again hurled himself at the man.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)