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
In the crowd at that rumbustious Democratic Convention in 1896 was a journeyman journalist, L. Frank Baum, who had a number of careers behind him by that time.
—
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
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
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
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious
Adjective
-
After two weeks of filming in Kansas City, the cast and crew of ended their stay in Kansas City with a boisterous wrap party in a private karaoke suite at Offkey in Westport.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Koreatown’s many casual but boisterous offerings also await.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
He is most known for catch opposing point guards off-guard with steals from behind in the back court, a move sure to elicit a raucous, standing ovation when performed for the first time in front of the Madison Square Garden faithful.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Nashville scored to take the lead, and hit the post, within the opening minute of the middle frame, pushing the Wild back on their heels and getting the raucous crowd back in the game.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bagatelle is the slightly more rambunctious option.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Looking for a more romantic, less rambunctious dinner?—
Molly Barstein,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Set between a rowdy wedding in the French countryside and a death commemoration ritual in a tiny African village, the film focuses on an extended clan that’s united, and sometimes divided, by the two major events taking place over the course of the movie.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
At several times, the crowd turned rowdy and shouted down the hearing examiner.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His lightning guitar work — alongside a mandolinist, fiddler, upright-bassist and banjo player who are not too shabby on their respective strings themselves — delivered a rollicking half-hour that gave the fans in the bleachers plenty to dance to.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Where there would once be huge lively crowds gathering in support of Hong Kong’s democracy figures, the mood was subdued and yet at the same time on edge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
And lively neighborhoods like Myeongdong and Hongdae are hot spots for shopping, local street food, K-pop culture, and nightlife.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Closer to beach and mountain weekends, and to big, noisy holiday gatherings, and to raising children who got to see their grandparents all the time.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s best moments come when Joji deploys the noisy, aggressive production favored by morose rappers like fakemink, Bladee, and Playboi Carti.—
Mehan Jayasuriya,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lastly, some members of the mainstream media’s reports on the violent anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis have been draped in gross mischaracterizations and gaping omissions.—
Michael Zais,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The president’s recent announcement of progress has been somewhat overshadowed by violent crimes making headlines daily.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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