charivari: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / Very RareFormal / Literary / Historical / Specialized (historical/social studies)
Quick answer
What does “charivari” mean?
A loud, discordant, and often mocking mock serenade of banging pots, pans, horns, and other noise-making objects, traditionally directed at unpopular individuals or newlyweds.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A loud, discordant, and often mocking mock serenade of banging pots, pans, horns, and other noise-making objects, traditionally directed at unpopular individuals or newlyweds.
By extension, any loud, confused, and cacophonous mixture of sounds or a tumultuous uproar; in a historical sense, a form of rough music or communal shaming ritual. In fashion, the name for a type of accessory (e.g., a bracelet) made of many contrasting charms or elements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Virtually identical in meaning and rarity. The term is equally obscure in both varieties, surviving mainly in academic, historical, and literary contexts.
Connotations
Connotes a specific historical practice of folk justice or celebration. When used metaphorically for noise, it carries a more literary and specific nuance than simply 'racket' or 'din'.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both varieties. More likely encountered in historical texts or specialized academic writing than in contemporary speech or general writing.
Grammar
How to Use “charivari” in a Sentence
Subject + stage/organise + a charivari + for/against + targetThe + crowd/neighbors + greeted + target + with + a charivariVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “charivari” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The disgruntled villagers threatened to charivari the unpopular tax collector.
American English
- They were charivaried by their neighbors on their wedding night.
adjective
British English
- The charivari bracelet was a jumble of mismatched charms.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in historical, anthropological, folkloric, and musicological studies to describe specific community rituals.
Everyday
Virtually never used. If used, it would be a deliberate, often humorous, literary flourish to describe extreme noise.
Technical
Used in historical/social studies as a technical term for a specific form of communal protest or celebration.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “charivari”
- Misspelling: 'chavarri', 'shivaree' (US variant).
- Incorrect pronunciation: Pronouncing the initial 'ch' as in 'chair' (/tʃ/) rather than 'sh' (/ʃ/).
- Using it as a general synonym for 'party' or 'celebration' without the connotation of mockery or cacophonous noise.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'shivaree' is a primarily American English folk pronunciation and spelling variant of 'charivari'. Both refer to the same noisy mock serenade tradition.
Yes, though it is very rare. It means to subject someone to a charivari (e.g., 'The couple was charivaried by the townsfolk').
No, it is extremely rare. You are most likely to encounter it in historical writing, literature, or as a metaphorical, literary term for a cacophony.
It is pronounced like 'sh' (/ʃ/), similar to the 'sh' in 'shoe'. The common British pronunciation is /ˌʃɑːrɪˈvɑːri/ and the American is often /ʃəˌrɪvəˈri/.
A loud, discordant, and often mocking mock serenade of banging pots, pans, horns, and other noise-making objects, traditionally directed at unpopular individuals or newlyweds.
Charivari is usually formal / literary / historical / specialized (historical/social studies) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(to be) like a charivari”
- “(to sound) like a proper charivari”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a married couple (CHARIed) arriving home, and the village greets them with a VARIety of loud noises: a CHARI-VARI-ety of sounds!
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL DISAPPROVAL IS A NOISY ASSAULT; CHAOS IS DISCORDANT MUSIC
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary historical context of a 'charivari'?