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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Recent Examples of rumbustious
Around this time, the outfit’s quirky, lightly rumbustious songs began to resonate across British press and radio; accessible while containing a marked dose of strangeness, Fontaine’s songwriting – at once emotionally raw and witty – boasted a strong multi-generational appeal.
—
Sophie Williams, Billboard, 8 May 2025
The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
From 1657, when tea first became available in London’s coffeehouses, to the early seventeen-hundreds, when women were invited in, recreational tea drinking was the preserve of rumbustious gentlemen.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2021
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
In August Tito Mboweni, his rumbustious finance minister, published a paper proposing sweeping yet doable reforms.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
Another popular view holds that Mr Trump’s rude and rumbustious character is really a merit in a time of great geopolitical and spiritual danger.
—The Economist, 5 July 2019
Ausilia, destined for spinsterhood, switches her spying from the lovers to the rumbustious, intimidating Jewish family who gather around the couple.
—Tim Parks, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Sophie Williams, Billboard, 8 May 2025
The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
From 1657, when tea first became available in London’s coffeehouses, to the early seventeen-hundreds, when women were invited in, recreational tea drinking was the preserve of rumbustious gentlemen.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2021
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
In August Tito Mboweni, his rumbustious finance minister, published a paper proposing sweeping yet doable reforms.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
Another popular view holds that Mr Trump’s rude and rumbustious character is really a merit in a time of great geopolitical and spiritual danger.
—The Economist, 5 July 2019
Ausilia, destined for spinsterhood, switches her spying from the lovers to the rumbustious, intimidating Jewish family who gather around the couple.
—Tim Parks, Harper's magazine, 10 Feb. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious
Adjective
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On Tuesday, the boisterous San Bernardino band Fuerza Regida, uploaded a statement to their 9.1 million followers, sharing support for the Latino community.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
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The courtyard is anchored by a lush banyan tree, and a resplendent Art Deco dining room and bar encircle the boisterous patrons outdoors.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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What To Know Videos on social media showed the group of drag artists walking into the theatre before the show began and being met with raucous applause.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Its aesthetic approach seldom lives up to its gestures toward camp as a guiding principle or its weighty themes (except, perhaps, in its surprisingly raucous final act).—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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Although bonded by blood, their approach to the drug game is different: Meech is rambunctious, while Terry is more prudent.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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So filled with the Kool-Aid and just so rambunctious.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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For 23 years, the rowdy blue agent of chaos lived as a second-class citizen at Disney.—
Brooks Barnes,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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Tear gas was reportedly used near the stadium and water cannon were used near the Arc de Triomphe to disperse rowdy crowds.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Joy’s jazzy, smoky version of the Marvin Gaye classic, coupled with her velvety vocals, sparked another rollicking ovation led by John who was the first to stand up.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
4 Feb. 2023
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His setlist, a rollicking walk-down-memory-lane of solo hits, NKOTB favorites, standards, show tunes and cover songs, showcased his range as an entertainer, musical virtuoso and keen collaborator.—
Sonal Dutt,
Peoplemag,
23 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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The primary bedroom suite mirrors the lively palette of the living room, blending mustard, green, and cobalt in deeply tactile textiles.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
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In one image, Turner was seen kissing the singer's head with his arm around her shoulders, while another showed the couple engaged in a lively chat while laying on the ground.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The sheer volume of content created far outpaces what audiences can consume, leading to a noisy, crowded digital ecosystem.—
Luca Brinkhues,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Its lineup interspersed noisy no wave groups like Pop Music Fever Dream and Pure Adult, upbeat pop-rock performances from bands like Um, Jennifer?—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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The protests had been largely peaceful throughout Friday and Saturday, with isolated instances of violent activity.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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