What does rowdies mean?
Rowdies are people who behave in a noisy, unruly, or disorderly way, especially as part of a group. The word commonly describes troublesome young people, rowdy sports supporters, or a disruptive crowd, and it often carries an informal or disapproving tone. It can be used more specifically for a group that causes trouble, while the singular rowdy refers to one disruptive person. In everyday speech, rowdies may simply mean a lively or boisterous crowd, even when the behavior is not seriously antisocial. The term is useful when describing collective misbehavior or the atmosphere of a disorderly gathering, though more formal writing may prefer terms such as disorderly crowd, unruly mob, or hooligans depending on the context and degree of disapproval.
plural nounThe plural form of rowdy, referring to a group of people who are noisy, unruly, or disorderly in their behavior.
- People who are noisy, unruly, or disorderly in their behavior, especially as a group.
"A group of rowdies took over the street after the concert ended."
"The rowdies were loud and disruptive throughout the evening."
"Security asked the rowdies to leave the venue before the next performance began."
The standard plural of rowdy; it refers to more than one rowdy person or to a group regarded as disorderly or disruptive.
"The rowdies gathered outside the venue, chanting and throwing bottles."
The plural 'rowdies' is often used for the noisy, unruly crowd that gathers after an event, when a single 'rowdy' is not quite enough to capture the chaos.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of rowdies
The word is the regular plural of rowdy, formed by adding the suffix -ies to the singular adjective or noun. The exact origin of rowdy is not fully certain, although it developed in English during the nineteenth century in connection with noisy and disorderly behavior. The related forms rowdily and rowdiness preserve the same lexical root.
Related word forms
How rowdies is actually used
Usually used of a group and often informal or mildly disapproving. It can describe young people, sports supporters, or any noisy and disruptive crowd, and is more common in British and US English than in formal writing.