Rave

/ɹeɪv/ · noun

Meaning

(informal, countable) An enthusiastic review (such as of a play)..

Definitions by Sense

1. (informal, countable) An enthusiastic review (such as of a play).
2. A large-scale dance party with strobe lights and fast-paced electronic dance music, often illegally organized open-air or in underground venues.
3. (music, uncountable) The genres of electronic dance music made to be played in rave parties.
4. (intransitive) To be mentally unclear; to be delirious; to talk or act irrationally; to be wild, furious, or raging.
5. (intransitive) To speak or write wildly or incoherently.
6. (intransitive, followed by "about", "of" or (formerly) "on") To talk with excessive enthusiasm, passion or excitement.
7. (obsolete) To rush wildly or furiously.
8. (intransitive) To attend a rave (dance party).

Example Sentences

The first-night audience, yes. The first-night reviewers, not exactly. The notices have so far been mixed, only The Financial Times having delivered itself of an unequivocal rave.

Maybe I wear baggies / And white socks with flip-flops / Maybe I don't like listening to rave / And I'm not on the social mountaintops

Have I not cause to rave and beat my breast?

The mingled torrent of redcoats and tartans went raving down the valley to the gorge of Killiecrankie.

"She is in trance. Your daughter, sir, is a powerful medium." "A medium! You are raving."

He raved about her beauty.

The hallowed scene / Which others rave on, though they know it not.

“A beautiful country!” “I suppose it is. Everybody says so.” “Your cousin Feenix raves about it, Edith,” interposed her mother from her couch.

Synonyms for rave

Antonyms for rave

Related Words

Word Forms

• raves
• raving
• raved

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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