rouse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb become active
    bestir.
    • He finally bestirred himself
  2. verb force or drive out
    force out; rout out; drive out.
    • The police routed them out of bed at 2 A.M.
  3. verb cause to be agitated, excited, or roused
    commove; turn on; excite; charge up; agitate; charge.
    • The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks
  4. verb cause to become awake or conscious
    awaken; waken; arouse; wake; wake up.
    • He was roused by the drunken men in the street
    • Please wake me at 6 AM.

WordNet


Rouse intransitive verb & transitive verb
Etymology
Perhaps the same word as rouse to start up, "buckle to."
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To pull or haul strongly and all together, as upon a rope, without the assistance of mechanical appliances.
Rouse noun
Etymology
Cf. D. roes drunkeness, icel. rss, Sw. rus, G. rauchen, and also E. rouse, v.t., rush, v.i. Cf. Row a disturbance.
Definitions
  1. A bumper in honor of a toast or health. Obs. Shak.
  2. A carousal; a festival; a drinking frolic.
    Fill the cup, and fill the can, Have a rouse before the morn. Tennyson.
Rouse transitive verb
Etymology
Probably of Scan. origin; cf. Sw. rusa to rush, Dan. ruse, AS. hreósan to fall, rush. Cf. Rush, v.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Roused present participle & verbal noun Rousing
Definitions
  1. To cause to start from a covert or lurking place; as, to rouse a deer or other animal of the chase.
    Like wild boars late roused out of the brakes. Spenser.
    Rouse the fleet hart, and cheer the opening hound. Pope.
  2. To wake from sleep or repose; as, to rouse one early or suddenly.
  3. To excite to lively thought or action from a state of idleness, languor, stupidity, or indifference; as, to rouse the faculties, passions, or emotions.
    To rouse up a people, the most phlegmatic of any in Christendom. Atterbury.
  4. To put in motion; to stir up; to agitate.
    Blustering winds, which all night long Had roused the sea. Milton.
  5. To raise; to make erect. Obs. Spenser. Shak.
Rouse intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To get or start up; to rise. Obs.
    Night's black agents to their preys do rouse. Shak.
  2. To awake from sleep or repose.
    Morpheus rouses from his bed. Pope.
  3. To be exited to thought or action from a state of indolence or inattention.

Webster 1913