What does uproariously mean?
“Uproariously” means loudly and boisterously, especially in a way that fills a room with laughter or creates a commotion. Its most familiar use describes an audience laughing with conspicuous force: people may “laugh uproariously,” so that the sound becomes the dominant feature of the scene. The word can also characterize singing, shouting, or any public display whose volume and excitement amount to an uproar. It is more expressive than merely “loudly,” because it suggests disorderly energy, visibility, and a crowd’s reaction rather than one person making a sound. This makes it especially suited to reporting, description, and humorous prose, though its theatrical quality can sound exaggerated when applied to something trivial. Although the modern form may look complicated, its meaning is straightforward: it derives from “uproar,” the familiar noun for a loud commotion, and preserves that idea in its adverbial use. It is therefore a vivid and useful alternative to “boisterously” when the emphasis falls on noise, hilarity, or the atmosphere of collective excitement.
adverbIn a way that is loud and boisterous enough to create an uproar, especially with laughter.
- Loudly and boisterously, especially so as to produce laughter or a commotion.
"The audience burst out laughing uproariously when the punch line landed."
"The audience burst out laughing uproariously when the punch line landed."
"By the third verse, the whole tavern was singing uproariously."
When the laughter becomes louder than the joke, it has officially gone uproariously.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does uproariously come from?
The word descends from English “uproar,” an early 17th-century formation based on “up” and “roar,” whose own Germanic ancestry relates to making a loud noise. The adjective “uproarious” was developed from that noun, and the adverb “uproariously” adds the suffix “-ly” to the adjective. Its development carries the core idea of a loud collective commotion into the modern sense of boisterous laughter or noise.
How uproariously is actually used
Most often describes laughter or a similarly loud collective reaction. It is more vivid and theatrical than “loudly,” suggesting excitement, disorder, and a degree of comic exaggeration; it is not normally used for a single quiet or controlled sound.
Easily confused with uproariously
An uproar is a noun meaning a loud public commotion, whereas uproariously is an adverb describing how laughter, shouting, or another noisy activity is done.