Boisterous Meaning, Pronunciation and Sentence Examples

Boisterous (adjective). noisy, energetic and difficult to restrain or keep orderly.

Example: The boisterous group burst into cheers when the game ended.

Pronunciation guide: BOY-stuh-ruhs. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Explore the usage · Try the three-question quiz · Keep learning

What does boisterous mean?

Boisterous describes lively activity that is noisy and unrestrained. It often appears with words such as children, crowd, laughter, game and celebration.

The tone depends on the setting. A boisterous celebration may feel joyful. The same noise during a quiet lesson may be disruptive. The word can sound affectionate, amused or critical; it does not always mean that someone is behaving badly.

Boisterous in sentences

• The boisterous children raced across the playground.
• A burst of boisterous laughter came from the next room.
• The usually quiet café became boisterous after the match.
• We enjoyed the boisterous celebration, then stepped outside for a quiet conversation.
• The puppy was too boisterous to sit still for the photograph.

Notice how the examples give evidence of energy or noise. “A boisterous crowd” suggests more than a crowd that is merely large.

Boisterous, cheerful, rowdy and aggressive

Cheerful concerns a happy mood; a cheerful person can be quiet. Boisterous adds noisy energy and a lack of restraint. Rowdy often gives a more disapproving impression of disorder.

Aggressive suggests forceful, confrontational or attacking behaviour in the relevant context. Boisterous children are not necessarily aggressive: they might simply be playing loudly. Describe the particular behaviour you mean instead of treating these words as exact substitutes.

Pronunciation and word forms

Say BOY-stuh-ruhs, with stress on the first syllable. The related adverb is boisterously: “The spectators cheered boisterously.” The noun is boisterousness: “Their boisterousness made conversation difficult.”

In more literary language, boisterous can also describe rough or stormy conditions, as in “a boisterous sea.” For an everyday learner sentence, a noisy group, lively game or loud laugh gives a straightforward context.

Try this frame: “The ___ grew boisterous when ___.” Supply an event that explains the sudden noise or excitement.

Practise boisterous: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. If a question asks you to write a sentence, your own correct example is welcome.

Question 1

Can someone be cheerful without being boisterous?

Question 2

Complete the sentence: “The crowd cheered ___.” Boisterous or boisterously?

Question 3

Does a boisterous game necessarily involve aggression?

Keep learning

Watch How to pronounce BOISTEROUS in British English by English with Collins Dictionary on YouTube.

Compare these words next: Furtive meaning and practice and Epitome meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Boisterous. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.