rousing

[rou-zing] /ˈraʊ zɪŋ/
adjective
1.
exciting; stirring:
a rousing song.
2.
active or vigorous:
a rousing campaign.
3.
brisk; lively:
a rousing business.
4.
exceptional; extraordinary:
a rousing lie.
Origin
1635-45; rouse1 + -ing2
Related forms
rousingly, adverb
nonrousing, adjective
unrousing, adjective

rouse1

[rouz] /raʊz/
verb (used with object), roused, rousing.
1.
to bring out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, fancied security, apathy, depression, etc.:
He was roused to action by courageous words.
2.
to stir or incite to strong indignation or anger.
3.
to cause (game) to start from a covert or lair.
4.
Nautical. to pull by main strength; haul.
verb (used without object), roused, rousing.
5.
to come out of a state of sleep, unconsciousness, inactivity, apathy, depression, etc.
6.
to start up from a covert or lair, as game.
noun
7.
a rousing.
8.
a signal for rousing; reveille.
Origin
1480-90 in sense “(of a hawk) to shake the feathers”; 1525-35 for def 3; origin uncertain
Related forms
rousedness
[rou-zid-nis] /ˈraʊ zɪd nɪs/ (Show IPA), noun
rouser, noun
unroused, adjective
Synonyms
1. arouse, stir, excite, animate, stimulate, awaken, kindle, inflame, fire. 1, 2. See incite. 2. provoke, anger.
Antonyms
1, 2. lull, calm, pacify.
Examples from the web for rousing
  • Instead, let us return to the text for his rousing conclusion.
  • In one sense, the research has been a rousing success.
  • We're generally a quiet bunch, more comfortable with armchair discussions than rabble rousing.
  • Building slowly, she delivered a rousing speech as tears streamed down her angry face.
  • The signal is a call to arms, rousing the lazing morays to leave their crevices and swim off with the groupers.
  • Rental-market strength is also rousing a long-dormant building industry.
  • First came a weekly flag-raising ceremony with a rousing address in every school.
  • Until recently, people told stories of rousing innovation about these instruments.
  • If no single dish has the spirit-rousing stamp of culinary genius, virtually every one is knowledgeably prepared.
  • His soothing tones, however, can't disguise a relish for the fray: beneath the silver-fox exterior beats a rabble-rousing heart.
British Dictionary definitions for rousing

rousing

/ˈraʊzɪŋ/
adjective
1.
tending to rouse or excite; lively, brisk, or vigorous: a rousing chorus
Derived Forms
rousingly, adverb

rouse1

/raʊz/
verb
1.
to bring (oneself or another person) out of sleep, unconsciousness, etc, or (of a person) to come to consciousness in this way
2.
(transitive) to provoke, stir, or excite: to rouse someone's anger
3.
rouse oneself, to become active or energetic
4.
(hunting) to start or cause to start from cover: to rouse game birds
5.
(intransitive) (falconry) (of hawks) to ruffle the feathers and cause them to stand briefly on end (a sign of contentment)
6.
(Austral) (raʊs), (intransitive) foll by on. to speak scoldingly or rebukingly (to)
noun
7.
(mainly US) another term for reveille
Derived Forms
rousedness (ˈraʊzɪdnɪs) noun
Word Origin
C15 (in sense 5): origin obscure

rouse2

/raʊz/
noun (archaic)
1.
an alcoholic drink, esp a full measure
2.
another word for carousal
Word Origin
C17: probably a variant of carouse (as in the phrase drink a rouse, erroneous for drink carouse); compare Danish drikke en rus to become drunk, German Rausch drunkenness
Word Origin and History for rousing

rouse

v.

mid-15c., intransitive probably from Anglo-French or Old French reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, but like many hawking terms it is of obscure origin. Figurative meaning "to stir up, provoke to activity" is from 1580s; that of "awaken" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Roused; rousing.