rouse
/ɹaʊz/verb, noun
rouse is spelled R-O-U-S-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, rouse means “To cause (something) to be (more) active or to move; to agitate, to stir up” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in rouse?
| Letters | 5: R-O-U-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rouse?
Rouse appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rouse?
- US /ɹaʊz/
As a verb (“Followed by at, on, etc.: to criticize severely; to tell off”): /ɹaʊs/, /ɹæɔs/.
Rouse has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-rouse.wav, En-au-rouse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rouse?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rouse from its last stressed vowel (/aʊz/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rouse
- rouses present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- rousing participle, present
- roused participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- more rouse comparative
- most rouse superlative
- rouze
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rouse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To cause (something) to be (more) active or to move; to agitate, to stir up.
- 2
To stir (a liquid, especially (brewing) beer in the brewing process).
- 3
To provoke (someone) to react (for example, in anger or annoyance); to spur; also, to annoy, to tease.
- 4
Originally chiefly followed by up: to cause (an emotional reaction, a feeling, etc.); to excite, to incite, to stir up.
to rouse the emotions or passions
- 5
Sometimes followed by up: to disturb (someone) from a state of apathy, comfort, etc.
- 6
Sometimes followed by up: to wake (oneself or someone) from deep thought, or rest or sleep; to awaken.
- 7
To lift up or raise (someone; or something, especially the head).
- 8
Sometimes followed by up: to cause (oneself) to be active or alert; to incite, to stir; also, to cause (oneself) to carry out a task, take action, etc.
- 9
AustraliaarchaicinformalFollowed by at, on, etc.: to criticize severely; to tell off.
He roused on her for being late yet again.
- 10
archaicTo sprinkle salt on (fish, especially herring) in the process of curing; to salt.
- 11
archaicTo cause (something) to rest or settle.
- 12
archaicTo rest or settle.
noun
- 1
An act of causing something to be (more) active or to move; a shakeup, a stir; also (chiefly US), a commotion, a disturbance.
- 2
Chiefly of a hawk: an act of shaking the feathers.
- 3
CanadaUKOften in the form Rouse and preceded by the: the sounding of a call, usually on the bugle in the morning after reveille, to signal that soldiers are to rise from bed; also, the reveille.
- 4
archaicA full or large cup or glass of an alcoholic beverage, especially when drunk as a toast; a bumper.
to give a rouse to take one’s rouse
- 5
archaicA social gathering at which alcoholic beverages are drunk; a drinking bout or party; a carousal.
adjective
- 1
archaicobsoleteUsed as an epithet for a person: having red hair; red-haired, redheaded.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rouse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense (transitive, also reflexive) to wake (oneself or someone) from deep thought, or :
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | éveiller |
| German | aufwachen, aufwecken, erwachen, erwecken |
| Portuguese | acordar |
| Spanish | despertar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rouse come from?
The verb is derived from Late Middle English rousen (“of a hawk: to shake its feathers”); further etymology unknown. Because many terms of French origin are used in falconry, it has been assumed that the Middle English word is derived from Anglo-Norman or French; however, no satisfactory etymon has been found.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).