Rouse
/raʊz/
verbB2
Definition
To rouse means to cause someone to stop sleeping or resting and become awake or alert. It also means to make someone feel strong emotions like excitement, anger, or motivation. You can rouse a person physically by waking them or mentally by encouraging them to act or feel something.
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See It in Action
To wake someone up from sleep or rest
- •She roused him from his nap with a gentle touch.
- •The loud noise roused the whole neighborhood.
- •He was roused early by the sound of birds outside.
To cause strong feelings or action in someone
- •The speech roused the crowd to cheer loudly.
- •The coach’s words roused the team to try harder.
- •The news roused anger among the citizens.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "rouse" like "wake" (A1 word), but not only from sleep—it can also mean waking up feelings or energy inside a person.
- ✓Picture someone sleeping peacefully, then suddenly someone gently shakes their shoulder to wake them up.
- ✓It's the feeling when a quiet crowd suddenly becomes excited and starts cheering loudly.
- ✓Sounds like "house" → imagine a quiet house suddenly full of noise and movement because someone woke everyone up.
- ✓In stories, heroes are often roused to action by a call or danger—they move from calm to active quickly.
- ✓NOT like "sleep" (resting quietly), rouse is the opposite—making someone active or alert.
- ✓NOT like "calm" (peaceful and quiet), rouse means to create energy or strong feelings.
- ✓NOT like "excite" (which is only emotional), rouse can mean both physical waking and emotional stirring.
Try Other Words
- •Wake: to stop sleeping (Use when talking only about getting out of sleep)
- •Stir: to cause movement or feelings (Use when focusing on emotions or small movements)
- •Awaken: to wake up or become aware (Use in formal or poetic contexts)
- •Excite: to cause strong feelings (Use when focusing only on emotional energy)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No prefix or suffix; root word "rouse"
- •Etymology: From Old French "rouser" or Old Norse "rausa," meaning to awaken or stir up
- •Historical development: Used since Middle English to mean waking up or stirring emotions
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for waking people and encouraging action or feelings in others
Reflect & Connect
•How can the word "rouse" be used in both physical and emotional situations? Can you think of examples?
•What situations in your life have made you feel roused or motivated to act?
Fill in the blanks
1.The loud alarm clock helped to rouse him ___ his deep sleep ___ the early morning.
2.The coach’s speech was meant to rouse the players ___ their tiredness and ___ their energy.
3.Unlike a simple wake-up call, to rouse someone often means to ___ their emotions or feelings.
4.When the fire alarm sounded, it roused everyone ___ the building quickly and safely.
5.The movie’s powerful scene roused strong feelings ___ the audience, making them cry.
6.She tried to rouse her friend from sadness, hoping to ___ some hope and happiness.
7.People sometimes need a loud sound or event to rouse them ___ action or attention.