Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- adj. Of, relating to, or resembling a riot.
- adj. Participating in or inciting to riot or uproar.
- adj. Uproarious; boisterous: a riotous party.
- adj. Dissolute; wanton: riotous living.
- adj. Abundant or luxuriant: a riotous growth. See Synonyms at profuse.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- adj. having the characteristics of a riot
- adj. causing, inciting or taking part in a riot
- adj. unrestrained and boisterous; degenerate or dissolute
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- adj. Involving, or engaging in, riot; wanton; unrestrained; luxurious.
- adj. Partaking of the nature of an unlawful assembly or its acts; seditious.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Tumultuous; of the nature of an unlawful assembly; seditious; guilty of riot: as, a riotous mob; a riotous demagogue.
- Indulging in riot or revelry; accompanied by or consisting in revelry or debauchery; wanton or licentious.
- Boisterous; uproarious: as, riotous glee.
- Synonyms See insurrection.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adj. produced or growing in extreme abundance
- adj. characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
- adj. unrestrained by convention or morality
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Examples
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The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela played it twice in riotous fashion at Carnegie Hall, first in its Sunday afternoon program, then as an encore after its concert last night.
Berlin in Lights: One ‘Mambo’ Less - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com
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"Then you see that 'tis all owing to me that —" She broke off to shake O'Hara, and the meeting ended in riotous hilarity.
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It was the first money my pen had ever earned; I did not squander it in riotous living, neither did I invest it in necessary boots and gloves.
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And then she heard a man's voice lifted up in riotous song, and she turned her head toward the opening of the gorge and listened, her eyes brightening while she waited.
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The sunflowers grow in riotous fertility, and have a habit of massing themselves in brilliant patches.
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'Alas!' said I, 'I spent the thirty dollars in riotous living.'
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Many Southern women had to cook, too, and could do it well; to patch and darn, and often to provide food and raiment for the household, because the husband and father frequented drink-shops or wasted his substance in riotous living.
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They were exposed to persecutions, though apparently not systematic, but rather annoyances and reproach arising from their not joining their heathen neighbors in riotous living, into which, however, some of them were in danger of falling.
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With bold and cautious footsteps, Dames explored the palace of the governor, who celebrated, in riotous merriment, the festival of his deliverance.
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It was only yesterday that our local saw a street row here in the quiet avenues of our peaceful city -- a street row recalling the riotous scenes which took place here before Dead Horse experienced a change of heart and became New Centreville.
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