clamor

1 of 3

noun

clam·​or ˈkla-mər 

1

a

: noisy shouting

a clamor of children at play

b

: a loud continuous noise

the clamor of the waterfall

2

: insistent public expression (as of support or protest)

the current clamor about what is wrong with our schools

clamor

2 of 3

verb (1)

clamored; clamoring ˈklam-riŋ 

ˈkla-mər-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to make a din (see din entry 1 sense 1)

The children clamored around them, singing songs and laughing.

2

: to become loudly insistent

clamored for his impeachment

clamoring for full independence

transitive verb

1

: to utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

cart peddlers clamored their wares

—Walter Farley

2

: to influence by means of clamor

clamor

3 of 3

verb (2)

clamored; clamoring; clamors

transitive verb

obsolete

: silence

Did you know?

The clamor on Broadway at midday can be astonishing to a tourist from a midwestern town; if they happen to be digging up the street with jackhammers, the clamor can be even worse. The clamor on the floor of a stock exchange goes on without stopping for seven hours every day. A clamor of protest may sometimes be quieter, but is often just as hard to ignore. A politician who receives a thousand emails a day clamoring for his resignation might as well be listening to an angry crowd.

Synonyms

Noun

• howl
• hubbub
• hue and cry
• hullabaloo
• noise
• outcry
• roar
• tumult
• uproar
• vociferation

Verb (1)

• call (for)
• claim
• command
• demand
• enjoin
• exact
• insist (on)
• press (for)
• quest
• stipulate (for)

Examples of clamor in a Sentence

Noun

A clamor outside woke them in the night.

city streets filled with clamor

a public clamor for an arrest in the case

There is growing clamor for reform.

Verb (1)

a dozen customers clamoring for service all at once

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the aid of avant-pop producer Justin Raisen, Gordon’s unsettling speech fragments—that vamp on the relentless nature of technology and consumerism—float just above a froth of trap beats and industrial clamor. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024

The clamor for top-order change has only got louder. —Tim Ellis, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Verb

Hip-hop heads have long clamored for him and Big Boi to release a follow-up to OutKast’s last album, 2006’s Idlewild, and/or for André 3000 to drop a solo rap album. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024

Investors aren't necessarily clamoring for SpaceX shares because Starlink has suddenly become more profitable or rocket launches more numerous. —Felix Salmon, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French clamour, from Latin clamor, from clamare to cry out — more at claim

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1611, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

clamor

noun

clam·​or

ˈklam-ər

1

a

: noisy shouting

b

: a loud continuous noise

2

: strong and active protest or demand

clamor verb

clamorous

-(ə-)rəs

adjective

clamorously adverb

Etymology

Noun

Middle English clamor "noisy shouting," from early French clamour (same meaning), derived from Latin clamare "to shout" — related to acclaim, claim