noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/kəˈɹaʊz/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aʊz
CMU ARPABET:K ER0 AW1 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A large draught of liquor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A drinking bout; a carousal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
We are all going to carouse at Brian's tonight.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: revel
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To drink to excess.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, transitive
Examples
If I survive this headache, I promise no more carousing at Brian’s.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
revelry in drinking; a merry drinking party
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: carousal, bender, toot, booze-up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: revel, revelry
6
verb
Meaning 6
engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
They were out carousing last night
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: roister, riot
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassail
History
Etymology
From Middle French carousser (“to quaff, drink, swill”), from German gar aus (literally “all out, quite out”), from gar austrinken (“to drink up entirely, guzzle”). Compare German Garaus.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
гуляя
(guljaja)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Bulgarian:
пирувам
(piruvam)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Czech:
hýřit
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Czech:
pařit
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Finnish:
rellestää
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
German:
Gelage abhalten
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
German:
eine Gasterei veranstalten
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
German:
sinnlos besaufen
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Ancient Greek:
κωμάζω
(kōmázō)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Italian:
gozzovigliare
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Latin:
cōmīssor
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Latin:
bacchor
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Polish:
hulać
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Polish:
balować
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Polish:
birbantować
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Russian:
кути́ть
(kutítʹ)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Russian:
пирова́ть
(pirovátʹ)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Russian:
туси́ть
(tusítʹ)
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Spanish:
farrear
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Swedish:
rumla
— To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Bulgarian:
пиянствувам
(pijanstvuvam)
— To drink to excess
Chinese Mandarin:
暢飲 /畅饮
(chàngyǐn)
— To drink to excess
Czech:
chlastat
— To drink to excess
Finnish:
juopotella
— To drink to excess
Finnish:
ryypätä
— To drink to excess
Finnish:
kännätä
— To drink to excess
German:
zechen
— To drink to excess
German:
saufen
— To drink to excess
German:
bechern
— To drink to excess
Italian:
ubriacarsi
— To drink to excess
Italian:
sbronzarsi
— To drink to excess
Russian:
пья́нствовать
(pʹjánstvovatʹ)
— To drink to excess
Russian:
напива́ться
(napivátʹsja)
— To drink to excess
Russian:
напи́ться
(napítʹsja)
— To drink to excess