riot

Plural: riots

Noun

• a public act of violence by an unruly mob
• a state of disorder involving group violence
• a joke that seems extremely funny
• a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
• A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property.
• A wide and unconstrained variety.
• A humorous or entertaining event or person.
• Wanton or unrestrained behavior or emotion.
• Excessive and expensive feasting; wild and loose festivity; revelry.

Verb

Verb Forms: rioted, rioting, riots

• To take part in a violent and public disturbance.
• take part in a riot; disturb the public peace by engaging in a riot
  • "Students were rioting everywhere in 1968"
• engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking
• To create or take part in a riot; to raise an uproar or sedition.
• To act in an unrestrained or wanton manner; to indulge in excess of feasting, luxury, etc.
• To cause to riot; to throw into a tumult.
• To annoy.

Examples

• In summer this flower garden is a riot of colour.
• The letters on his rack seemed to "RIOT," refusing to form any coherent words.
• The nuclear protesters rioted outside the military base.
• The protests began peacefully but turned into riots after several days.

Synonyms

bacchanal, bacchanalia, belly laugh, carouse, debauch, debauchery, drunken revelry, howler, orgy, public violence, rioting, roister, saturnalia, scream, sidesplitter, thigh-slapper, wow, anarchy, breach of the peace, chaos, discord, disorder, disorderliness, disturbance, instability, lawlessness, mayhem, riot, rowdiness, strife, turbulence, upheaval

Related Words

commotion

Anagrams of riot