RAVE(S) Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

raves 1 of 2

noun

plural of rave

as in applause

enthusiastic and usually public expression of approval the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

raves

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rave

as in gushes

to make an exaggerated display of affection or enthusiasm she raved about the Mother's Day breakfast of cold coffee and burnt toast that her young children had proudly set before her

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in huffs

to talk loudly and wildly a man stood outside city hall raving like a lunatic about his tax bill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 raves

Noun

Okot, just 21 years old, has drawn raves from her teammates and coaching staff. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 7 June 2026 Her performance has been garnering critical raves and the kudos are well-deserved. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2026 The raves on TikTok won’t tell you this because, according to many of these videos, sardines are a skincare cure-all. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 June 2026 In early April, Amy Coon updated her Facebook page photo to raves from friends. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026 Early on, most of these creators were influencers with large followings who would post raves about a product or suggest the utility of some service. — New York Times, 1 June 2026 While star Inde Navarrette is earning raves for her performance and becoming a meme queen for playing the world’s most devoted girlfriend. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026 More than 1 million square feet of space will be used for exhibits, events, gaming, panels, cosplay showcases, movie screenings, raves and afterparties. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 May 2026 Spinning at raves across LA was a way for Avtan to meet people after a pandemic lockdown that left her twin as basically her sole friend. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026

Verb

Amazon has deals on the exact brands the multi-hyphenate wears and raves about, plus pieces pulled straight from her playbook (cough, her Instagram, cough). — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 3 July 2026 Everyone around the Wolverines raves about the intensity and effort that Johnson brought to the court every day. — Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 26 June 2026 Whether the goal is craft mocktails in Manhattan, sober raves in Berlin or mountain-side kava in Asheville, the infrastructure is finally catching up to the demand. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026 Surprising melodic choices ride a chameleonic song structure that stutters and shrieks, bounces and raves with a fresh mix of Big Beat, UKG, breakbeats, and electro-pop sounds. — Kat Bein, SPIN, 21 May 2026 Contributor Gaby Ulloa has the medium-firm Helix Midnight Luxe at home, and raves about the lack of motion transfer and overall support. — Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 21 May 2026 In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, the actress used the Solawave 4-in-1 Red Light Therapy Wand, which our writer raves about for its ability to heal blemishes and smooth wrinkles. — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026 And as proven over my own repeat visits – and through customer raves on review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor and a feature on Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives – the fish-and-chips is not a solo act. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 7 June 2026 Sure, every fashion expert and social media stan account raves about her unbeatable approach to method dressing with longtime stylist Law Roach, but not enough people seem to appreciate how wearable the 29-year-old superstar’s couture looks can be. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for raves

Noun

But later that year, applause turned into discontent voiced in several closed session meetings.

— Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026
Ohtani's 18th home run this season off reliever Matt Krook in the sixth landed on the grass hill behind the bullpens and drew the loudest applause.

— CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Definition of applause

Verb

Trump has made clear his disdain for NATO, his affection for Putin, gushes over autocrats, and withholds military support for Ukraine.

— Arthur House, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026
Your journey ends at Millard Canyon Falls, a gorgeous 50(ish)-foot waterfall that gushes past massive boulders perched at the top of the cascade.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

Definition of gushes

Verb

And his ultimate war is with Bob, a tech CEO who rants about his haters and has gotten rich off rebranded snake oil and whose obvious corruption has been obscured by his self-mythologizing.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
One grumbles when the driver rants about development’s ravages.

— Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025

Definition of rants

Noun

Roberts doffed his cap in gratitude for a spirited postgame ovation from the fans here, almost all of them Dodgers fans.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
The ovation that erupted when Guzelimian walked out to introduce the festival’s closing concert was a fitting acknowledgment that golden-age concerts do not happen by themselves.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of ovation

Noun

His celebratory words marking its 250th anniversary included not only the traditional paeans to the Founders but also a dose of personal grievance, plus soaring praise for his own achievements.

— Susan Page, USA Today, 5 July 2026
This comes as the ex-Apprentice host on July 3 tossed some praise Clinton’s way in a book reading event with Second Lady Usha Vance on the latter’s podcast.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 July 2026

Definition of praise

Browse Nearby Words

ravens

raves

ravine

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Raves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raves. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of raves

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on raves

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes