rouse
rouse Lexical Profile
rouse Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To cause someone to stop sleeping, or to wake up from sleep or rest.
"The persistent ringing of the telephone finally managed to rouse him from a deep slumber."
To excite, provoke, or stir someone into a state of strong emotion, activity, or interest.
"The keynote speaker's passionate address helped rouse the audience from their apathy."
To drive or flush out from cover or a hiding place (especially of a wild animal or game).
"The hounds were trained to rouse the pheasant from the dense undergrowth."
• noun
An act of waking someone from sleep or stirring people to vigorous action.
"The bugler sounded the morning rouse to wake the entire camp at dawn."
A toast given in honor of someone, or a lively bout of drinking and festivity (now chiefly archaic or literary).
"The banquet guests raised their goblets in a hearty rouse to the newly crowned king."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Rouse" and "arouse" share an origin and overlap in meaning, but in modern usage "rouse" is preferred for waking someone from sleep or stirring people to action, whereas "arouse" is more commonly used for evoking abstract emotions (such as suspicion or curiosity) or sexual desire.
• Rhymes for rouse
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in late Middle English as a falconry and hunting term meaning to shake the feathers or flush game from cover, it likely derives from an Anglo-Norman or Old French root.