riotous

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English riotous, from Anglo-Norman riotous; equivalent to riot +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪətəs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

riotous

1. Having the characteristics of a riot.
2. Causing, inciting or taking part in a riot.
   • 1982 April 10, Roosevelt Williamson, “Prison Racism and Legal Slavery in America”, in Gay Community News, page 15:

     The prison administrators are always planting seeds of hate, division, separatism, and prison peer group racism in the various ethnic groups here, causing friction and riotous situations where one group is set against another.

3. Unrestrained and boisterous; degenerate or dissolute.
   • 1959 February, “Letters to the Editor: Open-Type Coaches on B.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 135:

     Open carriages tend to be draughty and inadequately heated. The passenger in them has no escape from the annoyance of squalling babies, boisterous drunks, and riotous teddy-boys, who may be at the far end of the coach but whose din cannot be shut out.

Synonyms

• ragmatical

Derived terms

• riotous living
• riotously
• riotousness
• unriotous

Translations

having the characteristics of a riot

• Polish: buntowniczy (pl), rozjuszony, wzburzony (pl)

Middle English

Alternative forms

• ryetous, reyetous
• riatous, riottes, ryoteux, ryotous, ryoutis (Late Middle English)

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman riotous; equivalent to rioten +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌriːutˈuːs/, /ˈriːutus/, /ˈriːətus/

Adjective

riotous (plural and weak singular riotouse)

1. degenerate, dissolute, lax
2. riotous, rowdy, boisterous
3. (rare) violent, savage
4. (rare) difficult, unmanageable

Descendants

• English: riotous
• Middle Scots: riotous

References

• “rīotǒus, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.