roister

Definition of roisternext
as in to carouse
to take part in drunken revelry the earl's wastrel son had spent the best part of his youth roistering and gambling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 roister One of his sons, Thomas (Dean-Charles Chapman), though hardly old enough to be in long pants, wears shining armor, while the other son, Hal (Timothée Chalamet), is a slouch who wastes his life in roistering. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roister
Verb
  • Many foreign attendees at San Fermín have no stomach for the spectacle and spend their early evenings carousing in local bars instead.
    Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
  • These increasingly crazed visitors spend their days lazing on the shore, drinking and eating, carousing with prostitutes, and abusing Rosa (played by B-movie actress Leonora Fani, who would also star in the equally notorious vacation film Giallo in Venice) for their own entertainment.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • The hanging quickly devolves into an all-out bacchanal, as onlookers drink, dance and kiss in the square surrounding the flailing corpse.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The appeal was lost on holdovers accustomed to drivers rough around the edges, with a Southern drawl, drinking a beer in Victory Lane.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That is his and his players’ responsibility, but for everyone else involved with Palace, this was a day in which to revel.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • No need to pay to see the holiday lights; just drive or stroll around with friends and family to revel at all of the creativity and hard work.
    Laura Daily, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • On Fat Tuesday, early Christians would binge fatty foods before the Lenten season of fasting and restraint began the next day.
    Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The duo’s archive of content will also be available to binge on Netflix later this year.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • There was sea salt in the air, and sleepless seagulls were birling in the darkness overhead.
    Douglas Stuart, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020
  • In some parts of the United States, birling contests are annual events.
    Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019
Verb
  • Some speculate that wassailing predates Christianity in the region; others note its association with the Christian holiday of Twelfth Night.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 Dec. 2025
  • In addition to the live music in Caldwell Hall, there's also an opportunity to join an English tradition: wassailing around the apple tree, a ritual to inspire a bountiful harvest in the year ahead.
    Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 19 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Roister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roister. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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