Meanings
present singular third person carouses · participle present carousing · participle past caroused · past caroused
- intransitiveTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering.First known use 1550s
We are all going to carouse at Brian's tonight.
1 more example
The prospect of two hundred (or more) loitering and carousing patrons streaming out of the club at 1 a.m. is profoundly disturbing to us.
1986 February 15, John Cronin, “More To It Than Homophobia”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 31, page 5 - intransitivetransitiveTo drink to excess.
If I survive this headache, I promise no more carousing at Brian’s.
1 more example
[…] the cup-bearers did fill great gems made in form of cups with ancient wine, and the Demons caroused to Lord Juss deep draughts in honour of this day of his nativity.
1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 7
plural carouses
- A large draught of liquor.
Had our great Pallace the capacity To Campe this hoaſt, we all would ſup together, And drinke Carowſes to the next dayes Fate […]
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene viii]2 more examples
[…] therefore forward I went with my hey-de-gaies to Ilford, where I againe reſted, and was by the people of the towne and countrey there-about very very wel welcomed, being offred carowſes in the great ſpoon, one whole draught being able at that time to haue drawne my little wit drye; […]
1600, William Kempe, Kemps nine daies vvonder, pages 4–5[…] he hadde ſo many eyes watching ouer him, as he coulde not drinke a full Carouſe of Sacke, but the State was aduertised thereof, within few houres after.
1612, John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued - A drinking bout; a carousal.
The early feast and late carouse.
1725, Homer, “Book II”, in [William Broome], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC1 more example
PORSON […] would not only frequently “steal a few hours from the night,” but see out both lights and liquids, and seem none the worse for the carouse.
1835, Richard Gooch, Oxford and Cambridge Nuts to Crack, page 25
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Germangar aus
- Middle Frenchcarousser“to quaff, drink, swill”
- Englishcarouse
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.
More words from Middle French, German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κωμάζω
- κωμάζω (kōmázō)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Bulgarian гуляя, пирувам
- гуляя (guljaja)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- пирувам (piruvam)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- пиянствувам (pijanstvuvam)To drink to excess
Chinese Mandarin 暢飲 /畅饮
- 暢飲 /畅饮 (chàngyǐn)To drink to excess
Czech hýřit, pařit
- hýřitTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- pařitTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- chlastatTo drink to excess
Finnish rellestää, juopotella
- rellestääTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- juopotellaTo drink to excess
- ryypätäTo drink to excess
- kännätäTo drink to excess
German Gelage abhalten, eine Gasterei veranstalten
- Gelage abhaltenTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- eine Gasterei veranstaltenTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- sinnlos besaufenTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- zechenTo drink to excess
- saufenTo drink to excess
- bechernTo drink to excess
Italian gozzovigliare, ubriacarsi
- gozzovigliareTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- ubriacarsiTo drink to excess
- sbronzarsiTo drink to excess
Latin cōmīssor, bacchor
- cōmīssorTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- bacchorTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Polish hulać, balować
- hulaćTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- balowaćTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- birbantowaćTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Russian кути́ть, пирова́ть
- кути́ть (kutítʹ)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- пирова́ть (pirovátʹ)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- туси́ть (tusítʹ)To engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- пья́нствовать (pʹjánstvovatʹ)To drink to excess
- напива́ться (napivátʹsja)To drink to excess
- напи́ться (napítʹsja)To drink to excess
- еба́шить (jebášitʹ)To drink to excess
- хуя́рить (xujáritʹ)To drink to excess
Spanish farrear, embriagarse
- farrearTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
- embriagarseTo drink to excess
Swedish rumla
- rumlaTo engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with carouse
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
carouse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carouse
“carouse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carouse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carouse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carouse.
Source: carouse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.