raved; raving
Synonyms of ravenext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to talk irrationally in or as if in delirium
b
: to speak out wildly
c
: to talk with extreme enthusiasm
raved about its beauty
2
: to move or advance violently : storm
… the iced gusts still rave and beat …—John Keats

transitive verb

: to utter in madness or frenzy

rave

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: an act or instance of raving
2
: an extravagantly favorable criticism
the play received the critics' raves
3
: a large overnight dance party featuring techno music and usually involving the taking of mind-altering drugs
1
: one that raves
2
: a person who frequents raves

Examples of rave in a Sentence

Verb “It's his best performance yet,” raved one movie critic. The guy on the corner was raving like a madman. The coach ranted and raved at the referee. Noun (1) Her review of the movie was a rave. the books have received even more raves from parents than from the kids they were written for
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The couple raves about the care their girls have received at both hospitals. — Juli McDonald, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Though some personal anecdotes rave about drinking coconut oil every day, the research isn’t there yet. — Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
Argentina’s queen of perreo-rave has become a South American it-girl, landing buzzy domestic collaborations with Dillom and Emilia Mernes, and strutting into the international spotlight with guest spots on tracks from Shy Girl and Yeri Mua. — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026 Fat Dog are now onto a second album of their idiocracy agit-rave. — Laura Snapes, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
There are groups for lifters, ravers, soccer players, mahjong aficionados, pool sharks, and the neurodivergent. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026 Upon arrival, the girls find a community of ravers and psychedelic rockers, romantics and orgiastics, shamans who serve as doctors, and poets who believe themselves to be prophets. — Robert Rubsam, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rave

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rave was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rave. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

raved; raving
1
: to talk wildly or irrationally
2
: to talk with great enthusiasm
raved about the new play
raver noun

rave

2 of 2 noun
: a statement of enthusiastic praise
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