uproar

noun

up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrȯr 

: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

Synonyms

• ado
• alarums and excursions
• ballyhoo
• blather
• bluster
• bobbery
• bother
• bustle
• clatter
• clutter [chiefly dialect]
• coil
• commotion
• corroboree [Australian]
• disturbance
• do [chiefly dialect]
• foofaraw
• fun
• furor
• furore
• fuss
• helter-skelter
• hoo-ha
• hoo-hah
• hoopla
• hubble-bubble
• hubbub
• hullabaloo
• hurly
• hurly-burly
• hurricane
• hurry
• hurry-scurry
• hurry-skurry
• kerfuffle [chiefly British]
• moil
• pandemonium
• pother
• row
• ruckus
• ruction
• rumpus
• shindy
• splore [Scottish]
• squall
• stew
• stir
• storm
• to-do
• tumult
• turmoil
• welter
• whirl
• williwaw
• zoo

Examples of uproar in a Sentence

There was a lot of public uproar over the proposed jail.

There have been uproars in the past over similar proposals.

The proposal caused an uproar.

The town was in an uproar over the proposal to build a jail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bell initially entered Missouri's 2024 Senate race, but switched to challenge Bush in October 2023 amid the uproar over the conflict in Israel. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024

The development has caused an uproar online and damaged already fragile business confidence. —Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2024

This news caused a massive uproar in the game development community with developers voicing their frustration on social media. —Ash Parrish, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2024

In today’s opinions newsletter: Restaurant dress codes, the Arizona Cardinals’ Bird Gang and the uproar over the upcoming U.S. Senate debate. —Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from Dutch oproer, from Middle Dutch, from op up (akin to Old English ūp) + roer motion; akin to Old English hrēran to stir

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

uproar

noun

up·​roar ˈəp-ˌrō(ə)r 

-ˌrȯ(ə)r

: a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

Etymology

from Dutch oproer "revolt, uprising," from op "up" and roer "motion"; the English spelling and meaning influenced by the similarity of the English roar to Dutch roer

Word Origin

The -roar part of the word uproar has no connection with the sounds made by some animals and crowds. The first use of uproar was as the translation of the Dutch word oproer, meaning "uprising, rebellion, revolt." Thus, the first meaning of uproar was the same as the Dutch meaning of oproer. Nowadays, this sense of uproar is no longer used. Because people thought that the roar of uproar referred to loud cries and sounds, they began to use the word to mean "a noisy disturbance or commotion." This is the sense of uproar that has survived.