Word
make a racket
Definition
idiom. to make a lot of loud, annoying, or unpleasant noise.
idiom. to produce a loud, disturbing, and typically unnecessary noise. The noun 'racket' functions as a singular countable noun in this idiomatic construction.
Examples
“The neighbors are making a racket with their loud music.”
“I couldn't get any sleep last night because the foxes were making a racket in the garden.”
“The construction crew began making a racket at dawn, effectively ending any hope of a quiet morning for the residents.”
Examples
simple
“The neighbors are making a racket with their loud music.”
contextual
“I couldn't get any sleep last night because the foxes were making a racket in the garden.”
complex
“The construction crew began making a racket at dawn, effectively ending any hope of a quiet morning for the residents.”
Usage
usually used in the singular with the indefinite article 'a'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'make a noise' to show that 'racket' implies the sound is specifically loud and irritating; it is more descriptive than the neutral 'noise'.
Pitfall
The children were making racket in the hall.
The children were making a racket in the hall.
the idiom requires the indefinite article 'a' before the noun 'racket'.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/make-a-racket