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REFERENCE

roar

n. · v.
US //ˈɹɔɹ// UK //ɹˈɔː// roar
  1. 1 a loud deep sound (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a long, loud, and deep sound made by a person, animal, or thing.

    a prolonged, resonant, and low-frequency sound produced by a living being or a physical process.

    Example

    The crowd let out a loud roar when the player scored the winning goal.

    Example

    The sudden roar of the crowd echoed through the stadium, drowning out the commentator's voice during the final seconds of the match.
  2. 2 animal cry (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the deep, powerful sound made by a large animal like a lion or tiger.

    the characteristic deep vocalisation of certain large felines or other animals.

    Example

    We could hear the lion's roar from the other side of the safari park.

    Example

    The lion's roar serves both as a territorial warning and a method of communication with other members of the pride over long distances.
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  1. 3 to make a loud sound (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to make a very loud, deep noise, often because of anger, pain, or power.

    to emit a loud, deep, and prolonged sound; often used intransitively to describe engines, wind, or vocal expression.

    Example

    The engines began to roar as the plane prepared for takeoff.

    Example

    The wind roared through the narrow canyon, making it nearly impossible for the hikers to hear one another's warnings.
  2. 4 to laugh loudly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to laugh very loudly and deeply.

    to laugh in a boisterous and unrestrained manner; often used in the phrase 'roar with laughter'.

    Example

    The audience roared with laughter at the comedian's funny story.

    Example

    The entire room roared with laughter when the speaker made an unexpected and self-deprecating joke about his own technical difficulties.
    • guffaw
  3. 5 to cry or weep (v.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Dialect Informal

    to cry or sob very loudly.

    to weep or wail loudly and uncontrollably.

    Example

    The little boy started roaring when he dropped his ice cream on the pavement.

    Example

    She found the toddler roaring in the hallway because he had misplaced his favourite toy just before bedtime.

    Usage

    Commonly used in Northern England and Scotland to mean crying rather than shouting.
Origin

From Middle English roren, raren, from Old English rārian (“to roar; wail; lament”), from Proto-West Germanic rairōn, from Proto-Germanic rairōną (“to bellow; roar”), from Proto-Indo-European *rey- (“to shout; bellow; yell; bark”), perhaps of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian roorje (“to roar”), German röhren (“to roar”).

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