roaring twenties: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Historical, journalistic, cultural analysis
Quick answer
What does “roaring twenties” mean?
The decade of the 1920s, especially in the United States, characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and social change.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The decade of the 1920s, especially in the United States, characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and social change.
Any period of great economic prosperity, cultural flourishing, and social liberation, often followed by a downturn. Can refer to similar booms in other countries or historical periods.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily refers to the US 1920s. In UK contexts, may be used for the same global period but with less emphasis on domestic prosperity, sometimes referencing the 'Bright Young Things'.
Connotations
US: Strong association with American economic boom, jazz age, and pre-Depression excess. UK: More cultural than economic, often linked to post-WWI social changes and literary modernism.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to the term's origin in US history. Common in both when discussing 20th-century history.
Grammar
How to Use “roaring twenties” in a Sentence
[The] roaring twenties + [verb] (e.g., saw, ended, began)In + [the] roaring twentiesDuring + [the] roaring twentiesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “roaring twenties” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The decade was often described as roaring with new energy.
American English
- The stock market roared through most of the Twenties.
adjective
British English
- It was a truly roaring decade for the arts.
American English
- They threw a roaring twenties-themed gala.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to describe a period of exceptional market growth and consumer spending.
Academic
Employed in historical, economic, and cultural studies to denote the specific socio-economic conditions of the 1920s.
Everyday
Used to evoke images of flappers, jazz, and old-fashioned glamour.
Technical
Rare in highly technical fields except in economic history referring to pre-1929 boom cycles.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “roaring twenties”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “roaring twenties”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “roaring twenties”
- Using lowercase ('roaring twenties') when it's a proper historical term.
- Using it for any prosperous period without the specific cultural connotations of the 1920s.
- Misspelling as 'roaring 20s' in formal writing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While coined for and most associated with the United States, the term is often applied to similar cultural and economic trends in other Western countries during the 1920s.
The 'roaring' refers to the energetic, lively, noisy, and dynamic nature of the decade—its booming economy, vibrant jazz music, and loud social changes.
Only metaphorically or journalistically to draw a comparison (e.g., 'a new roaring twenties'). By itself, it is a proper historical term for the 1920s.
The immediate opposite is the Great Depression of the 1930s, which followed the economic collapse that ended the boom.
The decade of the 1920s, especially in the United States, characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and social change.
Roaring twenties is usually historical, journalistic, cultural analysis in register.
Roaring twenties: in British English it is pronounced /ˌrɔːrɪŋ ˈtwentiz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrɔrɪŋ ˈtwɛntiz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The party ended when the roaring twenties crashed into the thirties.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of lions ROARING with energy and 'twenty' sounding like a party - a loud, energetic decade-long party in the 1920s.
Conceptual Metaphor
A DECADE IS A WILD ANIMAL (roaring), A DECADE IS A LOUD PARTY.
Practice
Quiz
What is the 'Roaring Twenties' most closely associated with?