# roar

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɹɔː/ · frequency rank #11,282

## Definitions
1. To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion.
2. To laugh in a particularly loud manner.
3. Of animals (especially a lion), to make a loud deep noise.
4. Generally, of inanimate objects etc., to make a loud resounding noise.
5. To proceed vigorously.
6. To cry aloud; to proclaim loudly.
7. To be boisterous; to be disorderly.
8. To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses do when they have a certain disease.
9. To cry.

## Etymology
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **RR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rr)
- **row** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-row)
- **rob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rob)
- **Roy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roy)
- **Ron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-ron)
- **rod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rod)
- **ROM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rom)
- **rot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rot)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roe)
- **Roi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roi)
- **roc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roc)
- **ROS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-ros)
- **RSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rsa)
- **roo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roo)
- **Roh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-roh)
- **Rog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rog)
- **RTA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rta)
- **Rua** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rua)
- **room** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-room)
- **rock** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roar-vs-rock)

## Common misspellings (5)
`orar`, `raor`, `roarr`, `rora`, `rroar`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/roar