roar

From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-Germanic *rairijaną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of imitative origin. Cognate with Scots rare, rair (“to roar”), Saterland Frisian roorje (“to roar”), German Low German raren, reren (“to roar; howl”), German röhren (“to roar”).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: rô, IPA^(key): /ɹɔː/
• (General American) enPR: rôr, IPA^(key): /ɹɔɹ/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) enPR: rōr, IPA^(key): /ɹo(ː)ɹ/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ɹoə/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
• Homophone: raw (in non-rhotic accents with the horse–hoarse merger)

roar (third-person singular simple present roars, present participle roaring, simple past and past participle roared)

1. (intransitive) To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Dryden

     Sole on the barren sands, the suffering chief / Roared out for anguish, and indulged his grief.

2. To laugh in a particularly loud manner.

   The audience roared at his jokes.

3. Of animals (especially the lion), to make a loud deep noise.

   The lioness roared to scare off the hyenas.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Spenser

     Roaring bulls he would him make to tame.

4. Generally, of inanimate objects etc., to make a loud resounding noise.
   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Gray

     How oft I crossed where carts and coaches roar.

5. (figuratively) To proceed vigorously.
   • 2011 January 25, Phil McNulty, “Blackpool 2-3 Man Utd”, in BBC:

     United's attempt to extend their unbeaten league sequence to 23 games this season looked to be in shreds as the Seasiders - managed by Ian Holloway - roared into a fully deserved two-goal lead at the interval.

6. (transitive) To cry aloud; to proclaim loudly.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Ford

     This last action will roar thy infamy.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 7, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.

7. To be boisterous; to be disorderly.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Bishop Burnet

     It was a mad, roaring time, full of extravagance.

8. To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses do when they have a certain disease.

roar (plural roars)

1. A long, loud, deep shout, as of rage or laughter, made with the mouth wide open.
2. The cry of the lion.
   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

     The Winkies were not a brave people, but they had to do as they were told. So they marched away until they came near to Dorothy. Then the Lion gave a great roar and sprang towards them, and the poor Winkies were so frightened that they ran back as fast as they could.

3. The deep cry of the bull.
4. A loud resounding noise.

   the roar of a motorbike

   • 1944, Ernie Pyle, Brave Men, University of Nebraska Press (2001), page 107:

     "Those lovely valleys and mountains were filled throughout the day and night with the roar of heavy shooting."

5. A show of strength or character.

• Raro, orra

roar

1. present tense of roa.