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riot

Pronunciation: /ˈrʌɪət/
Translate riot | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of riot

noun

  • 1a violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd:riots broke out in the capital [mass noun]:he was convicted on charges of riot and assault [as modifier]:riot police
  • an uproar:the film’s sex scenes caused a riot in Cannes
  • an outburst of uncontrolled feelings:a riot of emotions raged through Fabia
  • [mass noun] archaic uncontrolled revelry; rowdy behaviour: a young lord leaving the city after a night of riot
  • 2 [in singular] an impressively large or varied display of something:the garden was a riot of colour
  • 3 [in singular] informal a highly amusing or entertaining person or thing:everyone thought she was a riot

verb

[no object]
  • take part in a violent public disturbance:students rioted in Paris (as noun rioting)another night of rioting
  • behave in an unrestrained way:another set of emotions rioted through him
  • archaic act in a dissipated way:an unrepentant prodigal son, rioting off to far countries

Phrases

run riot

behave in a violent and unrestrained way: a country where freelance gunmen run riot, looting and hijacking food
(of a mental faculty or emotion) function or be expressed without restraint:her imagination ran riot
proliferate or spread uncontrollably:traditional prejudices were allowed to run riot

Derivatives

rioter

noun

Origin:

Middle English (originally in the sense 'dissolute living'): from Old French riote 'debate', from rioter 'to quarrel', of unknown ultimate origin

riot in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of riot in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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