carousing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Formal, Historical
Quick answer
What does “carousing” mean?
Engaging in noisy, lively, and often drunken partying or merrymaking in a group.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Engaging in noisy, lively, and often drunken partying or merrymaking in a group.
The activity of drinking heavily, celebrating noisily, and engaging in unrestrained revelry, typically with a sense of abandonment and social camaraderie. Can imply boisterous, often late-night social drinking.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage.
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be used in UK English with a historical/literary tone. In US English, might also carry a slightly more modern, but still rowdy, connotation (e.g., college parties).
Frequency
Low frequency in both varieties. More common in written narrative than everyday speech.
Grammar
How to Use “carousing” in a Sentence
[Subject] is/was carousing[Subject] spent the night carousing[Subject] engaged in carousingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “carousing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The rugby team spent the whole evening carousing at the local pub.
- After the finals, they planned on carousing until dawn.
American English
- The fraternity brothers were carousing loudly in their house.
- They caroused their way through the French Quarter.
adverb
British English
- Not standard usage.
- Not standard usage.
American English
- Not standard usage.
- Not standard usage.
adjective
British English
- The carousing students kept the whole neighbourhood awake.
- He had a carousing reputation from his university days.
American English
- The carousing crowd spilled out of the bar onto the street.
- Their carousing weekend left them exhausted.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare and negative. 'The executives were fired after a night of carousing on the company tab.'
Academic
Rare, used in historical/sociological contexts describing social rituals. 'The festival was marked by public carousing.'
Everyday
Low frequency. Used humorously or descriptively. 'Sorry I'm tired, we were out carousing last night.'
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “carousing”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “carousing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “carousing”
- Using it to mean simply 'drinking alone'. Incorrect: 'He sat carousing a bottle of whisky.' Correct: 'He sat *drinking* a bottle of whisky.' Carousing requires a social, lively context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. While the core is noisy, lively partying, heavy drinking is an implicit and almost universal component of the activity described.
No, it is a social activity by definition. It involves a group engaged in communal revelry.
It is relatively formal or literary. In everyday speech, words like 'partying', 'going out', or 'celebrating' are more common. 'Carousing' adds a descriptive, often historical or colourful tone.
'Binge-drinking' focuses solely on the excessive consumption of alcohol, which can be solitary. 'Carousing' emphasises the noisy, celebratory, and social context in which drinking takes place.
Engaging in noisy, lively, and often drunken partying or merrymaking in a group.
Carousing: in British English it is pronounced /kəˈraʊzɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /kəˈraʊzɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “painting the town red (related concept)”
- “on a bender (more extreme, less social)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a loud, CROWDed house (carouse) where everyone is making noise and drinking - 'carousing'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIALISING IS A NOISY JOURNEY (carouse from German 'gar aus trinken' - to drink fully out).
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario best illustrates 'carousing'?